The Canadian Parvasi - Issue 27

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Issue No : 27
Email: editor@canadianparvasi.com Contact Number : 905-673-0600 January 05, 2018 | Pages 24
Indo-Canadian
charged with
first-degree murder
The Canadian Parvasi
BRAMPTON: Avtar Dammi,
38, of Brampton has been
arrested and charged with the
16th homicide of 2017 in the Peel
Region.
The victim, a 34 year-old
male pedestrian from Caledon,
was struck by a pick-up truck
early Sunday morning at a plaza
on Torbram Road and Peter Robertson
Boulevard in Brampton.
Police rushed the victim to
hospital where he succumbed to
his injuries.
Dhammi was arrested and
charged with first degree murder.
He appeared before the
Ontario Court of Justice in
Brampton and was remanded to
custody.
Motive behind ban on gurdwara
entry of Indian diplomats?
The Canadian Parvasi
MISSISSAUGA: The ban on the
entry of Indian diplomats in Ontario
gurdwaras figured in the
Indian parliament on Thursday
even as some top gurdwara leaders
have denied their involvement
in it.
The decision to ban Indian
diplomats from gurdwaras was
taken at a meeting at the Jot Parkash
Gurdwara in Brampton on
December 31.
Congress MP Ravneet Singh
Bittu, who drew the Indian
government’s attention to the
ban during zero hour in the Lok
sabha, said some `Khalistani elements’
in Canada were trying to
malign the image of the entire
Sikh community with their actions.
Bittu was quoted as saying
that the “Government of India
and state government of Punjab
will not tolerate this,’’ warning
these 'elements‘ to expect no
help from India.
Gobinder Singh Randhawa,
president of Ontario Sikhs and
Gurdwara Council, said, ``I had
no information about the issue. I
read it only in the papers.’’
Amarjeet Mann of the Ontario
Gurdwaras Committee, who
was present the meeting where
the ban decision was taken, told
Parvasi that they have called a
meeting at Malton gurdwara on
Saturday to discuss the issue.
The ban statement carried
no signature from either the Ontario
Sikhs and Gurdwara Council
or the Ontario Gurdwara
Committee which represent
most gurdwaras in Ontario.
Continued on page 04
When AISSF had
sehajdhari Harbans
Lal as its president
By our correspondent
Patrick Brown virtually kicks off poll
campaign by visiting Golden Temple
The Canadian Parvasi
TORONTO: You can’t
imagine a Sehajdhari in
important positions in
Sikh institutions today,
but once upon a time even
the All-India Sikh Students
Federation (AISSF)
had a sehajdhari as its
president in the early
1950s.
His name was Harbans
Lal who is today
known as Bhai Harbans
Lal or Dr Harbans Lal.
"Yes, I was the first
and only Sehajdhari president
of the AISSF,’’ says
Dallas-based Dr Harbans
Lal, 87, who retired as
chairman of department
of pharmacology & neuroscience
at University of
North Texas Health Science
Center.
Dr Lal is known for
organizing global conferences
on the Guru Granth
and has written for Sikh
Review of Kolkata, Journal
of Sikh Studies of
GNDU and Sikh Sansar
started by 'Father of fiber
optics’ Dr Narinder Singh
Kapany in San Francisco.
Continued on page 06
TORONTO: With Ontario elections
just months away, Progressive Conservative
leader Patrick Brown virtually
kicked off his campaign with his
New Year visit to India.
Brown visited the Golden Temple
in Amritsar on Wednesday and paid
obeisance at the holiest Sikh shrine.
He also served langar to the devotees.
Posting his pictures of the visit
to the Golden Temple on Instagram,
Brown said, "Began my India trip by
visiting the Harmandir Sahib, the
spiritual home of Sikhs, to receive
blessings for a great 2018. I have visited
the holy Sikh shrine 8 times and
witnessing the beauty of this place of
prayer and devotion has always been
blissful and humbling. I was also
grateful to have the opportunity to
join sevadars and serve langar to the
devotees.’’
In New Delhi, the Ontario PC
leader also met with former Indian
cricket team captain Kapil Dev. After
the meeting, Brown wrote on Instagram,
"Great sit down with former @
IndianCricketTeam Captain and icon
Kapil Dev.
With cricket being one of the fastest
growing sports in Ontario, received
tips on how I can improve my
batting skills! More importantly, discussed
opportunities to strengthen relationship
between India and Canada
through sports. Can’t wait to wear my
#TeamIndia jersey next world cup!”
Continued on page 09
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The International News Weekly REGIONAL
January 05, 2018 | Toronto 02
Peel Police caution
on house break-ins
MISSISSAUGA: Peel Regional Police are reminding
homeowners to take precautions while away on
vacation as there has been an increase of residential
break-ins during the holiday season.
With the inclement weather and snow accumulation
over the last few weeks, homes are easily identified as
being unoccupied and are made for an easy target for
a break-in.
If homeowners are planning to be away, Peel
Regional Police are reminding homeowners to have
trusted neighbours, friends, or family members check
on their residence, including the clearing of snow
around entrances, driveways, and garages.
Additionally, homeowners should place interior
lights on timers, install external motion sensor lights,
and have their mail or papers removed from the front
of the residence. If possible, homeowners could also
ask a neighbour to park a vehicle in their driveway
while they are away. Peel Regional Police would like
to remind all residents to be vigilant in keeping an eye
on their neighbourhoods and to report any suspicious
activity to the police. (Press release)
2 dead in Toronto
highway crash
Agencies
TORONTO: Two people are dead after police say
a vehicle went airborne and plowed into a pole on
Highway 401 in east-end Toronto.
Ontario Provincial Police say it happened around
4 a.m. Wednesday after the vehicle hit a concrete barrier
near Warden Avenue.
Photos posted on social media show a vehicle almost
completely wrapped around a light standard
and nearly sliced in half.
OPP Const. Prash Niranjan says officers are
working to identify the deceased but have not yet
been able to get into the vehicle.
He says officers will detach the vehicle from the
pole and decide whether to remove the occupants at
the scene or send everything to the Centre of Forensic
Sciences in Toronto.
Investigators are looking into whether speed,
road conditions or weather played a role in the crash.
Police say the eastbound express lanes of the
highway will remain closed in the area until further
notice. The collector lanes reopened around 8:30 a.m.
Niranjan says police need to ensure the pole is
structurally sound before allowing motorists back in
the area.
SHOCKING: Sexual harassment of young
political staffers on Parliament Hill
Agencies
OTTAWA: Young political
staffers on Parliament Hill,
who are often ambitious
and desperate for a foothold
in their chosen profession,
can be much more vulnerable
to the scourge of sexual
misconduct than their
older, more experienced
colleagues and elected counterparts,
says Green party
Leader Elizabeth May.
Indeed, May — who took
part in a recent Canadian
Press survey of female MPs
about their experiences
with sexual harassment —
is drawing comparisons between
the career ladder in
political Ottawa and the familiar
Hollywood cliche of
a "casting couch" mentality.
Thirty-eight of Canada's
89 female MPs took part in
the survey, with more than
half of respondents — 58 per
cent — reporting that they
had personally been the target
of one or more forms of
sexual misconduct while in
office, including inappropriate
or unwanted remarks,
gestures or text messages of
a sexual nature.
Political staffers often
lack job security, making
them far less likely to speak
up about their experiences
— especially when the problem
lies with someone who
Agencies
TORONTO: Toronto police are releasing
security camera footage that
appears to show a man trying to burn
a parked SUV over the holidays. Police
say officers responded to a call
is in a position of authority,
said May, who likened their
environment at times to the
"star culture" of Tinseltown.
"There are political
equivalents of the casting
couch, and if you want to get
ahead in certain political
parties, you do not want to
offend people who are seen
to be movers and shakers,"
she said. "It is not a normal
workplace in that sense. I
don't think the culture is going
to change overnight, but
I do think it is important to
have mechanisms for complaints
that allow for confidentiality."
Shifting the culture and
fixing the power imbalance
on the Hill is going to demand
that male MPs speak
up when they are made
aware of unacceptable behaviour,
she added.
"If you hear something
in your caucus meetings
you think is just bad form,
tell your male colleagues,"
said May, who expressed
optimism of change now
that the "floodgate" has
opened in politics, sport and
the entertainment industry.
"Politics and power
run together, which means
power and politics and sex
run together, and men in
positions of power are going
to abuse that," she said. "To
change that culture and to
really have men in politics
that understand that they're
at about 5:15 a.m. on Friday after a
white Porsche SUV was set on fire in
the driveway of a home in the East
York area of Toronto.
They say the man smashed a window,
doused the vehicle in gasoline
and ignited it before he fled the area
feminists ... that is a big step
culturally for politics."
Three MPs who responded
to the voluntary
survey said they had been
victims of sexual assault,
while four said they experienced
sexual harassment,
defined in the survey as insistent
and repeated sexual
advances. Nearly half of
respondents — 47 per cent
— were subjected to inappropriate
comments on social
media.
Meanwhile, 63 per cent
said they don't believe the
level of harassment in federal
politics is any different
than any other workplace.
May was full of praise for
National Revenue Minister
Diane Lebouthillier, who
told The Canadian Press
that she encouraged two
young female staffers to file
a complaint after noticing
their discomfort with someone
in a position of authority.
The House of Commons
has not confirmed receiving
the complaint.
Lebouthillier, who
would not provide further
details, told the staffers to
add her own name to the
complaint; they later told
her they would not have
done it without her encouragement.
"Good for her," May
said.
Toronto police release footage of man lighting SUV on fire
in a white, four-door sedan.
Police say they are concerned the
man may have sustained "significant
injuries" during the alleged arson.
Anyone with information is
asked to call police ot Crime Stoppers
anonymously.
Former hostage Joshua Boyle charged with sex assault
The Canadian Press
OTTAWA: A Canadian
man recently freed with his
wife and young children
after years of being held
hostage in Afghanistan has
been charged with at least
a dozen offences, including
sexual assault, his lawyer
said Tuesday.
Joshua Boyle, 34, was arrested
in Ottawa, his lawyer,
Eric Granger, told The Canadian
Press.
Ottawa police declined
to provide any details on the
case.
The 15 charges against
Boyle, according to court
documents, include eight
counts of assault, two of sexual
assault, two of unlawful
confinement and one count
of causing someone to "take
a noxious thing, namely Trazodone,"
an antidepressant.
There is also a charge of
uttering a death threat and
another of misleading a police
officer. The purported
acts allegedly occurred
between Oct. 14 and Dec.
30 after Boyle returned to
Canada.
Boyle and his American
wife, Caitlan Coleman, were
taken hostage in 2012 by a
Taliban-linked group while
on a backpacking trip in
Afghanistan. Coleman was
pregnant at the time and the
couple had three children in
captivity.
"He's never been in trouble
before," Granger said.
"No evidence has been provided
yet, which is typical
at this early stage. We look
forward to receiving the
evidence and defending him
against these charges."
Granger said his client is
"coping."
"He's as OK as anyone is
who is suddenly and unexpectedly
facing charges for
the first time," he said.
A publication ban bars
any information that could
identify the alleged victims
or witnesses in the case.
A man who answered
the phone at the residence
of Boyle's parents in Smith
Falls, Ont., on Tuesday said
he did not want to comment.
The Prime Minister's
Office also said it would not
comment since the investigation
is ongoing.
A government official
said Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau met with the Boyles
at the family's request.
The official said the
prime minister would generally
meet with any returning
hostage with connections to
Canada, and discussion of
the hostage-taking was the
main purpose of the meeting
with the Boyles.
Boyle has said he and
his wife were helping ordinary
villagers in a Talibancontrolled
area of Afghanistan
when they were seized.
He told The Canadian Press
that conditions during their
five-year ordeal changed
over time as the family was
shuffled among at least three
prisons.
He described the first as
"remarkably barbaric,'' the
second as more comfortable
and the third as a place of
violence in which he and his
wife were frequently separated
and beaten.
Boyle said their captors
from the Taliban-linked
Haqqani network raped his
wife and had also caused
her to suffer a miscarriage.
Shortly after landing in Toronto
after being rescued, he
demanded that his kidnappers
be brought to justice.
In an interview with
ABC News, Coleman, who
is from Stewartstown, Pa.,
recalled that guards dragged
her husband from their cell,
and one of them threw her
on the ground, shouting, "I
will kill you, I will kill you"
before assaulting her.

The International News Weekly January 05, 2018 | Toronto
03
Premier accuses Tim Hortons
founders' children of bullying
Agencies
Premier greets Sikhs
on Guru Gobind
Singh's birthday
TORONTO: The premier
of Ontario is accusing the
children of Tim Hortons'
billionaire co-founder of
bullying their employees
by reducing their benefits
in response to the province's
increased minimum
wage.
In a letter to workers
at two Tim Hortons restaurants
in Cobourg, Ont., Ron
Joyce Jr. and Jeri Horton-
Joyce said that as of Jan.
1, staff would no longer be
entitled to paid breaks, and
would have to pay a portion
of the costs for dental
and health benefits to offset
the $2.40 jump in the hourly
minimum wage.
Premier Kathleen
Wynne says if Joyce Jr.
wants to challenge the Ontario
government policy,
he should come directly to
her and not take it out on
his workers.
While the changes announced
in the letter —
dated December 2017 _ are
not a violation of Ontario's
Employment Standards
Act, Wynne says she wants
Joyce Jr. to reverse his decision.
The cutback in benefits
and wages at the two locations,
which came into effect
Jan. 1, follow the rise
in Ontario's minimum
wage from $11.60 an hour
to $14 this week.
A Tim Hortons spokesperson
has declined
to comment on the letter,
but said franchisees
are responsible for handling
all employment matters
at their restaurants
while complying with all
applicable laws and regulations.
News Desk
TORONTO: Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has
greeted Sikhs on the 351st Prakash Purab of the tenth
Guru Gobind Singh.
In her message, the Premier said, "On behalf of
the Government of Ontario, I am delighted to extend
warm greetings to members of the Sikh community
as you commemorate the 351st Parkash Purab of the
10th Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. This special
day brings the Sikh community together to celebrate
the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji —
founder of the Khalsa — and to reflect on his life’s work,
his wisdom, and his teachings of equality, selfless
service, and upholding justice for all.''
Lauding the Ontario Sikh community, the Premier
added, "In Ontario, this is also a time to recognize and
celebrate the many enduring ways in which the Sikh
community has helped shape our province into the
strong and vibrant place we are so fortunate to call
home. I offer my sincere best wishes for a meaningful
and joyous celebration.''
60,000 job losses due
to minimum wage hike
Agencies
OTTAWA: The Bank of Canada estimates there will be
about 60,000 fewer jobs by 2019 due to the increases in minimum
wages across the country, but that labour income will
be higher due to the increases.
In examining the impact of the wage increases, the report
estimated that the consumer price index could be boosted by
about 0.1 percentage points on average and real gross domestic
product could be cut by 0.1 per cent by early 2019.
The number of jobs lost was based on a 0.3 per cent decline
in the number of hours worked, while aggregate real
wages were estimated to increase 0.7 per cent.
The research paper by the staff at the central bank noted
that if the average working hours declined following the increase
in the minimum wage, the number of jobs lost would
also be lower.
The Bank of Canada estimated that about eight per cent
of all employees work at minimum wage, a proportion that
increases to 11 per cent if a threshold of five per cent above
minimum wage is used.
Toronto man, 81, charged
with murdering wife
Agencies
TORONTO: Police in Toronto say an 81-year-old man has
been charged with murder in the death of his wife. They
say officers were called to a home at about 9:30 p.m. on
Wednesday, where they found a woman with severe injuries.
Barbara Kovic was pronounced dead at the scene,
and police say her death has been ruled a homicide.
Police say the woman's husband, Ante Kovic, was
also found in the residence and has been charged with
second-degree murder. Police say their investigation is
ongoing and they're asking anyone with information to
come forward.

The International News Weekly REGIONAL
January 05, 2018 | Toronto 04
Google phones, tablets affected by
newly discovered security issue
Agencies
TORONTO: Google says
a newly discovered security
vulnerability initially
thought to be linked to
most modern computers is
actually a threat to smartphones
and tablets as well.
Reports began circulating
Wednesday about a
mysterious hardware issue
that could cause sensitive
data, including user
passwords, to become accessible
to hackers.
To make matters
worse, consumers were
warned that a software update
to fix the widespread
problem could potentially
slow down their computers,
although it remains
unclear to what extent
that is true.
While the problem was
initially identified in computers
based on Intel processors,
Google has since
pointed out the same security
issue can be found in
other devices.
The tech giant says
computers powered with
hardware by AMD, Intel's
biggest competitor, are
also affected.
Google also warned
that smartphones, tablets
and other devices that use
ARM processors will need
a software update to be
protected.
Last year, a team of
Google researchers stumbled
upon the hardware
issue, which actually involves
three separate vulnerabilities,
and the computer
industry had been
collaborating in secret on
a fix.
Google, Intel and other
companies were planning
to release details about the
security issues next week,
once software updates
were ready to be deployed,
but were forced to go public
early when news of the
problems leaked.
In a statement released
Wednesday, Intel attempted
to downplay worries
about the hardware issue,
saying it believes hackers
"do not have the potential
to corrupt, modify or delete
data." The company
also said a performance
hit from a future software
update "should not be significant
and will be mitigated
over time."
AMD said it believes
the issues pose zero or
"near-zero risk" to consumers
while "negligible
performance impact" is
expected from a software
fix.
Users of the Linux
operating system can already
download an update
while Microsoft is gradually
pushing out fixes for
Windows users. Apple has
yet to comment on plans
to update its operating
systems.
Google says Android
devices with the latest security
update installed are
already protected, while
users of the Chrome web
browser and Chromebook
computers may need to
download an update.
Motive behind ban on gurdwara
entry of Indian diplomats?
Continued from page 01
The statement was issued in the name of a Gurdwara
Management Committee and carries no signature,
nor was it issued on any letterhead.
The ban statement came at a time when pro-Khalistan
slogans were raised at New Year ceremonies at
Dixie gurdwara by its president Gurpreet Singh Bal. Bal
also warned that Indian officials wouldn’t be allowed
to `meddle’ in Sikh affairs. But Bal says that anyone -
whether the Indian diplomats or others - are welcome
in gurdwaras in unofficial capacity. Some observers of
the community scene see a political design behind the
ban as some Sikh leaders opposed to federal minister
Navdeep Bains might be trying to torpedo the upcoming
India visit of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
A seasoned community leader referred to a recent
lunch hosted by some prominent Sikh leaders for the
Indian Consul General and wonders whether those
who hosted the Indian CG are also party to the ban.
More cold and snow headed for Ontario
Agencies
TORONTO: Canada issued a special weather statement
early Thursday for most of southern and eastern Ontario
warning of another wave of bitter cold.
The agency says a northwesterly flow will develop
today and bring lows in the minus 30 Celsius range to
many places until Sunday. The statements runs from the
Windsor area in the east to the Parry Sound region and
east into Quebec. Environment Canada has also issued
snow squall warnings for communities on the east side
of Lake Huron, with up to 15 centimetres of snow likely in
the warning zones.
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The International News Weekly CANADA
05
January 05, 2018 | Toronto
4 women say Toronto theatre star
Albert Schultz groped them
The Canadian Press
TORONTO: When playwright
Erika Reesor heard
of the sexual assault and
harassment allegations
against Soulpepper Theatre
Company founding artistic
director Albert Schultz this
week, the only ethical decision
she could stand by was
to boycott.
"It's the only effective
way that we have to show
our support for women
coming forward. We have to
put it in action," she said.
"As an audience member,
I won't go see any shows
produced by Soulpepper,
and I don't mean just until
this court thing is resolved.
It is my intention to put my
money where my mouth is.
"And as an artist, I won't
myself work with them and
I won't encourage other artists
to work with them."
Reesor is among the
artists and patrons turning
their backs on Soulpepper
after four actresses filed
lawsuits against Schultz
and the Toronto-based theatre
company.
Patricia Fagan, Hannah
Miller, Kristin Booth
and Diana Bentley, who all
agreed to be named publicly
in the suits, allege the
54-year-old Schultz exposed
himself, groped them, and
otherwise sexually humiliated
them.
One of the women's lawyers,
Alexi Wood of St. Lawrence
Barristers LLP, said
in a statement that Soulpepper
did nothing to protect
the actresses from Schultz,
who is also an accomplished
stage and screen actor.
The allegations have not
been proven in court and
Schultz said he would defend
himself "vehemently."
On Thursday, four
Soulpepper artists — Ted
Dykstra, Stuart Hughes,
Michelle Monteith and Rick
Roberts — resigned, saying
they "support and stand"
with the four women.
They also said that until
Schultz has no role with
the company, they will not
work there. Schultz is on
what he called a "leave of
absence" pending an investigation
by Soulpepper's
board of directors.
"Soulpepper, as it is, is
not a safe environment,"
Miller said Thursday at a
news conference.
"It's certainly not for
an actor whose desire and
training leads them to be
open and vulnerable and
to delve into passion, and
there's a sanctity of the theatre
that is being violated."
Miller said she struggled
with the prospect of
Soulpepper's reputation being
damaged by her allegations,
but felt compelled to
speak out.
"The implication that
we are ruining something
is maybe the reason why it's
so hard (to speak out)," she
said.
Lawyer Tatha Swann of
Levitt LLP, who also represents
the four women suing
Schultz, said she expects
"there's going to be a huge
impact on production, and I
10 Years Of Excellence
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think this is something that
has to happen in order to
send a message."
"What we hope to see is
that (Schultz) is removed
from his role and that Soulpepper
does an internal
cleaning, that they put in
policies that have teeth and
enforce them to make sure
this doesn't happen again,"
Swann said.
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The International News Weekly REGIONAL/CANADA
January 05, 2018 | Toronto 06
How Niagara Falls attracts
tourists as a winter wonderland
The Canadian Press
NIAGARA FALLS: Diane
Zhao has made the journey
from China to Niagara
Falls three times before,
but she has never seen it
like this — a veritable ice
palace, straight out of a
fairy tale.
"I just wanted to see the
ice and the frozen falls,"
Zhao said of her fourth trip
to the falls. "It's so huge and
beautiful."
About 14 million people
visit the Niagara Region
in southern Ontario each
year, most of them in the
summer months, according
to local authorities.
The Canadian side of
Niagara Falls, the region's
star attraction, has seen
more visitors than usual
this winter, the Niagara
Parks Commission says,
as record cold temperatures
in recent weeks have
turned the surging waters
and their surroundings
into an icy winter wonderland.
"This has been wonderful,"
parks commission
chair Janice Thomson
said. "Just in the past week
we've seen (such a) flow of
people."
Word of the wintry
spectacle has spread across
the globe in recent days as
stories about the icy falls
have been published by the
likes of CNN, the Washington
Post, BBC and news
outlets in continental Europe.
Many visitors hear the
falls have frozen and want
to see the mighty flow of
water brought to a standstill,
Thomson said.
"Of course we know the
falls aren't frozen over,"
Thomson noted.
Rather, spray and mist
freeze into a crust over top
of the water, creating the
illusion that the falls have
stopped falling, she explained.
Niagara Falls has only
truly stopped once, the
Niagara Parks Commission
says — for 30 hours in
March 1848, when millions
of tons of ice temporarily
clogged the source of the
Niagara River.
While the falls aren't
truly frozen today, the effect
is still stunning, and
the same mist that freezes
over the falls has formed an
icy casing over every tree
branch, railing and lamppost
in the surrounding
area.
Huge blocks of ice are
pushed over the falls and
into the frigid waters below,
where they swirl in
whirlpools or freeze into
a glacier-like "ice bridge"
that sometimes reaches 10
storeys high.
"It's amazing," said Australian
Maya Oxley, who
is in Canada visiting relatives
and made a trip to the
falls this week.
Oxley said she saw the
falls in winter 14 years ago
and had to come back.
"It's beautiful in winter,
and not many crowds," she
said.
For Ariana Durgadeen,
who was visiting from
Trinidad with her mother,
the ice was an introduction
both to Niagara Falls and to
a real Canadian winter.
"I'm really enjoying it
so far, except the wind,"
Durgadeen said. "It's a bit
cold but really nice and
beautiful."
About eight million
people stop by the Niagara
Parks Commission's paid
attractions around the falls
every year. Less than a million
of them come in the
winter time, Thomson said.
While the cold weather
means visitors can't
ride a boat on the Niagara
River to get close to
the falls, tourists in the
winter can still take the
Journey Behind the Falls,
a tunnel with two portals
behind the falls.
Winter visitors can also
take advantage of indoor attractions
like the Niagara
Butterfly Conservatory, or
Niagara's Fury, a 360-degree
"multi-sensory" theatre
where visitors learn
about the ancient origins of
the falls.
Ontario man sues med school
for not training him well
The Canadian Press
TORONTO: An Ontario man is suing Western University,
alleging its medical school didn't give him the education he
needed to succeed in his chosen specialty.
James Stuart alleges a five-year post-graduate residency
program offered at the university didn't give him the necessary
training to pass a certification exam and get licensed as a
medical microbiologist.
In a statement of claim, Stuart alleges the program at the
university's Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry deteriorated
dramatically while he was enrolled, due in part to the
departure of key faculty members and all of his classmates.
Stuart alleged he brought concerns about insufficient supervision,
feedback and testing to school officials but despite
their assurances, no improvements were made.
He says he later discovered the program was on probation,
and it was discontinued after he completed his studies.
The allegations have not been proven in court and Western
has not yet filed a statement of defence. The university is seeking
to appeal a judge's ruling made late last year that allowed
the lawsuit to proceed. Stuart first filed the lawsuit, which
seeks $11 million in damages, in 2014 after failing the certification
exam for medical microbiology three years in a row,
according to court documents.
An Ontario judge struck down the claim twice, prompting
Stuart to submit amended versions of the document. In
November, a different judge found Stuart had sufficiently
addressed the issues flagged by the court and ruled that he
could move forward with a lawsuit for breach of contract and
fiduciary trust. Stuart enrolled in the program in 2007 after obtaining
his medical doctorate from the university, court documents
show.
In order to become a medical microbiology specialist, he
was required to complete a five-year residency program at a
university program accredited by the Royal College of Physicians
and Surgeons of Canada. Those who successfully complete
such a residency can then undergo a specialty qualifying
exam, which is also administered by the college.
The lawsuit alleges that in accepting Stuart into its residency
program, Western entered into a contract with him to
give training "in conformity with the generally accepted standards
for a medical residency training program in Canada."
When AISSF had sehajdhari
Harbans Lal as its president
Continued from page 01
For promoting studies
of Sikhism, he was given
the highest Sikh honour of
Nishan-e-Khalsa in 1999 on
the 300th anniversary of
the Khalsa. In 1995, GNDU
also conferred D. Litt on
him.
"I was also given the
title of `bhai sahib’ by the
AISSF in the 1950s and by
the SGPC in 1963,’’ says Dr
Harbans Lal who was born
in Haripur (Pakistan) in
1931.
"My father was a Hindu
and my mother came from
the family of Sehajdhari
Sikhs. Since my parents
had no child, they prayed
at the local women’s gurdwara
called Guru Istri Satsang
Sabha in Haripur. The
women granthis advised
my parents to pray for a son
at Panja Sahib gurdwara. I
was born with the blessing
of Guru Nanak,’’ he recalls.
Dr Lal’s family moved
to India during the Partition.
"Muslims from nearby
villages set three gurdwaras
on fire in Haripur.
Hindus and Sikhs were
just 10 percent of Haripur’s
population of 25,000,
and I had just finished my
high school. We left Haripur
in March 1947, hoping
to return soon because
we thought the Partition
would be relatively peaceful.’’
He says his family
settled in Deoband (UP) as
they feared outbreak of violence
in Punjab in 1947.
His involvement with
the All India Sikh Student
Federation began when he
joined medical college in
Amritsar for his B.Sc in
pharmacy after his F.Sc
from Ambala.
"When I was doing
my B.Sc, I was also busy
in AISSF activities. I was
elected its president in
1954.’’
He continued in this
role even after he got a job
in Mumbai on completion
of his B.Sc in pharmacy.
"During my two years
of presidentship, the AISSF
began publishing the Sikh
Students monthly in English
to enhance communication
with units that
were spread in all over India.
I edited the magazine
with the help of Dr. Santokh
Singh and other colleagues,’’
he says.
Dr Harbans Lal says
he had a grand vision for
the AISSF. "My being in
Bombay, there was a very
active Bombay Circle, the
Khalsa Colege being the
primary site of activities.
There were active units
and circles of AISSF all
over India expanding from
Calcutta and Bombay to
Jammu and Kashmir, and
a few units in East Africa.
Extending AISSF to UK
and USA were in planning.
The primary emphasis was
to acquaint Sikh students
with their rich Sikh heritage
and train them in the
leadership skills as one day
they would be replacing
the aging Sikh leadership
in all spheres. I remember
sending a sword as a token
of appreciation to the first
President of the new state
of Israel.’’
In Sept 1956, he left for
the US to join the University
of Kansas for my masters
and later do his Ph.D
from the University of Chicago.
He met my German
wife Amrita in Chicago and
they married in 1964.
"I had brought the holy
Granth with me when he
left India. By the 1970s
when I had established myself,
I started serious work
on Sikh studies.’’
His work on Sikh studies
continues to this day.

The International News Weekly REGIONAL/CANADA
January 05, 2018 | Toronto
07
Canadian women MPs narrate stories
of sexual harassment
The Canadian Press
OTTAWA: There have long
been obstacles in the path of
women seeking to succeed in
politics — and some female
MPs are now coming forward
to share their own experiences
with sexually inappropriate
behaviour, both on and off
Parliament Hill.
The Canadian Press surveyed
current female MPs
of every political stripe last
month to find out the extent
to which they had been the
targets of sexual harassment,
assault or misconduct of all
kinds, including during their
time in elected office.
The responses make clear
that political Ottawa — long
a bastion of male-dominated
power relationships — is no
stranger to inappropriate
behaviour against women,
no matter their stature, with
social media being the most
common source of complaints.
Of 89 current female
members of Parliament, 38
chose to respond to the voluntary
survey, which sought
their input on everything
from lived experiences to
their views on the global conversation
growing out of allegations
against Hollywood
producer Harvey Weinstein,
among others. Anonymity
was promised to ensure MPs
could share their experiences
and opinions without fear of
reprisal. Nearly 58 per cent
of respondents said they had
personally been the target of
one or more forms of sexual
misconduct while in office,
including inappropriate or
unwanted remarks, gestures
or text messages of a sexual
nature.
That includes three MPs
who said they were victims of
sexual assault and four who
said they were the targets of
sexual harassment, defined
in the survey as insistent and
repeated sexual advances.
Nearly half of respondents —
47 per cent — said they were
subjected to inappropriate
comments on social media.
"It's particularly good
moment for us to show leadership,
to take advantage of
the spotlight that we have
on Parliament Hill, to affirm
that sexual harassment can
happen in any workplace,
not only on the Hollywood
casting couches," said New
Democrat MP Sheila Malcolmson,
who said she opted to
speak publicly out of a sense
of responsibility. Some of the
behaviour documented by the
survey appears to have been
at the hands of those within
the corridors of power.
Twenty-two MPs who
said they had personally
experienced some form of
sexual misconduct in office
chose to answer a question
about the perpetrators, with
five saying it came from an
MP from her own party. Ten
said it came from an MP in a
different political party.
Eight respondents said
the perpetrator was a lobbyist,
constituent or other
stakeholder known to them
through their role in elected
politics, while 18 said it was
either someone from outside
the world of politics or someone
who is anonymous or otherwise
unknown to them. One
MP, speaking on condition of
anonymity to protect her personal
privacy, said that while
she has never experienced
sexual harassment on Parliament
Hill, she has heard her
male colleagues share many
jokes and remarks of a sexual
nature about female MPs and
employees. Despite her best
efforts to make clear that the
jokes — which her colleagues
find trivial — are unwelcome
and inappropriate, they have
not stopped. The MPs surveyed
were nonetheless hesitant
to suggest they are worse
off than anyone else.
Sixty-three per cent of
respondents said they don't
believe the level of sexual harassment
in political circles is
any different than any other
workplace. "I sincerely think
it's not any different than
anywhere else," said Quebec
Liberal MP Alexandra
Mendes. "I think it's part of
something that is deeply in
the male mentality, this sort
of undermining of women's
capabilities and talents and
always sexualizing just about
everything."
One MP recalled a voter
slipping his hand onto her
buttocks when they posed
for a photo together during
the 2015 federal election campaign.
"I remember the discomfort
of having to push his
hand away after," she said,
but decided to stay silent.
"What does one do with that?
Tell him he's disgusting and
that it's nauseating?" she said,
noting she was on the campaign
trail.
"No, I let it go and it's
over." There was a higher
number of MPs who said they
had either witnessed, or been
told about, sexual misconduct
targeting another woman in
their entourage, be it a staffer,
page, intern, House of Commons
employee or MP. Twothirds
of respondents said
such behaviour had occurred
rarely, while another four
said it happened often.
The vast majority said
they had never heard about
the same things happening to
a man, although six respondents
did say they had either
witnessed or been told about
sexual misconduct directed at
men in their entourage. They
described the instances as
rare. Diane Lebouthillier, the
minister for national revenue,
said in an interview that
she encouraged two young
female staffers to file a complaint
after she noticed their
discomfort with someone in a
position of authority.
The House of Commons
would not confirm whether
it received the complaint.
Lebouthillier, who would not
divulge further details, said
she told the staffers to add
her own name to the complaint
and later, they told her
they would not have done it
without her encouragement,
because they did not want
to cause her any embarrassment.
She said she told them not
to think like that. "The best
friend of violence is silence,
so if someone ever says,
'You're going to embarrass
me,' that person is not there to
help you," she said.

The International News Weekly EDIT
08
January 05, 2018 | Toronto
The
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Publisher & CEO
Associate Editor
Editor (India)
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Trudeau's India visit
What is in store for India-Canada relations
in 2018?
If the visit of Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau to India takes place, likely in
February, the two countries can expect to
make more progress and possibly sign at
least one of the two long-pending agreements
- the Foreign Investment Promotion and
Protection Agreement (FIPA) and the
Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Agreement (CEPA).
Because of the NAFTA crisis forced by
President Trump, Canada is eager to sign
free trade agreements with China, India
and other major countries. But Trudeau has
returned empty-handed from China because
Beijing, which runs a huge trade surplus
with Canada, is not all that eager to sign a
free trade agreement.
As for the possibility of a free trade
agreement - or CEPA - with India is
concerned, Canada is eager that New Delhi
inks this pact to boost their just $8-billion
annual trade to many times more.
But, again, New Delhi is not in that great
hurry to sign the free trade agreement with
Canada. India would rather sign the FPA
because it badly wants foreign investment.
So Canada wants CEPA and India wants
FIPA. We hope that the leaders of the two
countries can bridge the gap and ink these
agreements at the earliest.
India is also sore with Canada because
of anti-India activities on Canadian soil.
Perhaps that was one of the reasons that
India recently slapped heavy duties on cereal
imports from Canada.
Though the Khalistan issue is dead
in India, it remains an issue with some
segments of the Indo-Canadian community,
possibly because of no punishment to the
perpetrators of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. But
patronage of these elements by vote-seeking
Canadian politicians is also one of the
factors.
Thought for the week
I never did give anybody hell. I just told the
truth and they thought it was hell.
~Harry S. Truman
Meet 'Guardians of
Governance’ in Punjab
Brig Nawab Heer and
Ms Preet Heer
People of Punjab
had hopes when the
new government under
Captain Amarinder
Singh took office in
March, for he had
given many promises
to the voters during the
election campaign.
These promises
included loan waiver
for farmers, jobs for
students, and check
on drugs, corruption,
police accesses and
many more.
At present there
is a mixed reaction
to what the Congress
Government has done
about those promises.
But many see
that there are some
positives. There is
a definite decline in
drug consumption in
the state. Government
officials are attending
their offices regularly
and tackling problems
of the public. Many
cases of corruption by
low level police officers
have been tackled
and overall there is
some semblance of
governance.
Captain Amarinder
Singh is being viewed
as a much better
administrator than any
of CMs of Punjab except
Partap Singh Kairon.
Some new initiatives
being taken by this
Punjab Government
are worth mentioning.
If they are successful,
they will lead to good
governance in the state,
and also inspire the
whole country.
One such initiative
has been taken at the
suggestion of General
TS Shergill, senior
advisor to the Chief
Minister, and General
SPS Grewal who is
the chairman PESCO.
This initiative entails
ex-servicemen from
each village serving
as the ``eyes and ears”
for the government on
volunteer-cum-partial
payment basis to report
honestly on progress on
the works directly to
the state headquarters.
We are all aware
that the Government
of India and the
Punjab government
have rolled out a large
number of welfare
schemes for the needy
and disadvantaged
sections of society.
Huge funds are allotted
for these schemes, but
the intended benefits do
not reach the needy and
deserving.
To plug this loophole,
the Government of
Punjab has launched
a unique scheme
called ``Guardians of
Governance (GG)” to
oversee implementation
of the schemes and
ensure that funds
reach the needy and
are not wasted through
leakages, inefficiency
and corruption.
It was a challenge to
find the persons with
integrity to participate
voluntarily in reporting
their progress to the
state government.
But Punjab has a
vast number of exservicemen
officers and
other ranks that are
disciplined, dedicated,
and honest and have
unquestionable loyalty
and integrity. These
men having served
the nation with
sincerity. Thus, these
ex-servicemen are the
most suitable persons
as the “Guardians of
Governance”.
Ex-servicemen are
very excited about
this role and even
some senior retired
officer such as Brig
Indermohan Singh
have volunteered to
become ``Guardians of
Governance’’.
There are districtlevel
and tehsillevel
committees
and then “Khusali
Da Rakha” at village
level. The Guardians
of Governance have
developed a mobile
application for feedback
to administrative
headquarters to ensure
speedy action and
remedial measures.
To monitor reports
and feedbacks from
the villages, a control
room is set up at the
state level that would
be working round
the clock under the
leadership of General
Shergill, assisted by
team of officers under
General SPS Grewal.
Punjab has 22
districts, 89 tehsils
and 13,006 villages.
The scheme will
have 13,500 exservicemen
volunteers
contributing towards
its implementation.
The success of the
scheme will go a
long way towards
ensuring progress and
eradicating corruption.
They have already
recruited some exservicemen
and started
their training. But there
is a mixed reaction
towards this scheme
from the bureaucracy
as such many of them
see it as an interference
by honest soldiers
in their self-serving
system. This can be
resolved with resolute
leadership of the CM.
DGP Punjab was
also approached with
the idea of using
services of these
veterans in carrying
out intelligence work
for the Punjab Police.
However, the idea was
not rejected.
Some
NRI
organizations
undertaking many
schemes in their
villages have also
requested for assistance
from the veterans. The
state government has
agreed to assist NRIs
through these veterans
by identifying some
areas for undertaking
new schemes but
without handling any
funds to them on behalf
of the NRIs. All of those
hailing from Punjab
must appreciate this
initiative. It is hoped
each Punjabi would like
to see this excellent idea
become a successful
model. This offers a
ray of hope for better
governance.
(These are the
personal views of the
writer)
(Brig Nawab Heer
can be contacted at
nawabheer@gmail.com)
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The International News Weekly INTERVIEW/OPED
January 05, 2018 | Toronto
09
Patrick Brown virtually kicks off poll
campaign by visiting Golden Temple
Continued from page 01
This is Brown’s 18th visit to India.
With the 905 region being home
to the largest concentration of the
Punjabi community in Ontario,
Brown’s visit to the Golden Temple
is aimed at wooing the Sikh voters.
It was his eighth visit to the Golden
Temple.
With the elections in Ontario
due in June, Patrick Brown-led
Progressive Conservative Party is
trying to dislodge Kathleen Wynneled
Liberals who have ruled Ontario
for the past 14 years.
As of now, Progressive Conservatives
have an edge in opinion
polls.
But with the introduction of the
minimum wage of $14 from January
1, the Liberal Party may expect
an uptick in its popularity again as
60 percent of people in Ontario support
the raise in minimum wage, as
per a recent survey.
The Parvasi Media Group pays its tributes
to our printer Paolo Morabito of Master Web
who passed away recently. The association of
Parvasi with him goes back to its inception in
2002 when Parvasi (Punjabi) rolled off presses
at Master Web for the first time. Morabito, who
was suffering from cancer, had been in the
printing business for nearlyy four decades. He
had a long association with the ethnic media in
the Greater Toronto Area. RIP.
I took risky decisions,
says Priyanka Chopra
Agencies
MUMBAI: Actress Priyanka Chopra
says she was advised not to be
a part of Bollywood films "Aitraaz"
and "Fashion", but she decided to
take a "risk" as she believes her
career in showbiz has been full of
risky choices. "When I was younger,
I never saw a long-term plan. I am
not from the film community;
my career has always
been full of risky choices
and I took decisions
off the paved path. My
greatest risk was me
not knowing that I was
taking a risk," Priyanka
told Forbes magazine in
an interview.
Priyanka, 35, who
played the negative
role of Sonia Roy in
"Aitraaz" in 2004, says
she got scared when
people asked her to opt
out of the project.
"While shooting for the movie,
people warned me that it was a
wrong career move and that I would
get stuck with vamp-type roles. It
scared me like hell," she recalled.
Something similar happened
when Priyanka was approached for
2008 film "Fashion".
"I was told that girls did womencentric
roles only towards the
end of their careers to win
awards. I was advised to work
with big stars and do Hollywood
tent-pole type movies," Priyanka
said.
"I was afraid that I took a
wrong decision again, but the
fact is that I did not know any
better."
Priyanka received
a National
Film Award
for her role of
Meghna Mathur
in "Fashion".
Govt orders probe into
Jet Airways pilot fight
Agencies
NEW DELHI: Civil Aviation Minister
Ashok Gajapati Raju on Thursday informed
the Lok Sabha that a probe has
been initiated into the incident of an alleged
physical altercation between two
Jet Airways pilots on-board a London-
Mumbai flight which was operated on
January 1, 2018.
Responding to a question raised by
BJP MP Kirit Somaiya during Zero Hour
on Thursday, Raju said that action will be
taken according to regulations and that
"no one will be spared". On its part, Jet
Airways has grounded the two pilots. The
incident involved the male co-pilot slapping
his female commander inside the
cockpit of the aircraft which was ferrying
324 passengers, including two infants
and 14 crew.Subsequently, the incident
has been reported to the aviation regulator
Directorate General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA). "A misunderstanding occurred
between the cockpit crew of Jet Airways
flight 9W 119, London-Mumbai of
January 1, 2018. However, the same was
quickly resolved amicably and the flight
with 324 guests, including 2 infants and 14
crew, continued its journey to Mumbai,
landing safely," a Jet Airways' spokesperson
said on Wednesday.
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The International News Weekly india
January 05, 2018 | Toronto 10
Akalis seek CBI probe into
funding of Rana Gurjit's aides
Agencies
CHANDIGARH: Punjab's
opposition Akali Dal on
Sunday demanded a CBI
probe into the funding of
sand mining auctions of
Power Minister Rana Gurjit
Singh's associates by
the main accused in the
Rs 1,000 crore irrigation
scam.
It also sought an Enforcement
Directorate inquiry.
Akali Dal MPs Sukhdev
Singh Dhindsa and
Balwinder Singh Bhundur
said the central agencies
should also probe the release
of Rs 4 crore to contractor
Gurinder Singh,
who was the main accused
in the irrigation scam, by
Rana Gurjit's ministry.
"How can the Irrigation
Ministry release money
to a contractor who is
being probed and has even
been arrested? The contractor's
direct involvement
in the sand mine
auctions on behalf of Rana
Gurjit's associates alone
can explain the undue favours
given to him by the
Irrigation Ministry," they
said in a statement here.
They said in both cases
the minister was liable
for criminal prosecution
as facts revealed that irrigation
scam money had
been used to fund personal
business interests of his
close associates and partner
J.S. Randhawa.
"There is no way
he (Rana Gurjit) can
continue as a minister
and Chief Minister
Amarinder Singh should
dismiss him immediately,"
they added.
Mohali Mayor
suspended for
corruption
Manmohan happy to
see his minister
vindicated in 2G case
Indo-Asian News Service
NEW DELHI: Former Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh
has said he was happy that former
Telecom Minister A. Raja
stood vindicated in the 2G case.
"Many thanks for your
letter... I am very happy that
you stand vindicated in the
2G case. You and your family
have suffered greatly in this
process but all your friends are
greatly relieved that truth has
prevailed," he said in a reply,
dated January 2, to Raja's December
26 letter.
In his letter, Raja, of the
DMK, had said that he "understood
the compulsions" that
prevented the then Prime Minister
from "openly supporting
him".
A special court on December
21 acquitted Raja and Kanimozhi
of the DMK as well as
businessmen and executives
accused of bribery in the 2008
allocation of 2G telecom spectrum,
a "scam" that allegedly
contributed to the Congressled
UPA's defeat in the 2014
parliamentary elections.
Himachal to settle
52-year-old power
arrears with Punjab
Agencies
SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet
on Thursday approved settling over
half a century old electricity arrears with
Punjab and Haryana in three Bhakra
Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects
in compliance with a Supreme Court
order in terms of differential energy return.
The differential energy quantum of
13,066 million units would fetch Rs 3,266
crore to the state at an average rate of Rs
2.50 per unit, an official statement said.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur presided
over the cabinet meeting which
also approved negotiations with both the
neighbouring states for payment of the
entire differential energy within 10 to 12
years.
It also agreed for negotiations towards
payment of liability of Rs 111.53 crore as
computed by the Central government in
its affidavit in equal annual instalments
during the period of return of power.
In case Punjab and Haryana insist
for repayment with interest, Himachal
Pradesh will go in for return of power
with a premium of six per cent and with
no further additional liability for receiving
this differential energy of 13,066 million
units, said the statement.
The Cabinet approved the proposal of
Punjab and Haryana on return of differential
power from October 1 to March 31
owing to their constraints of paddy harvest
season and also the requirement of
Himachal Pradesh during winter months
in public interest.
The Supreme Court had raised Himachal's
share to 7.19 per cent of the power
generated by the projects -- Bhakra, Beas
(Dehar) and Beas (Pong) -- against the 2.5
per cent it was earlier getting.
In its order on September 27, 2011,
it had upheld the hills state's claim and
directed compensation for denial of the
state's legitimate share from November
1, 1966.
Agencies
CHANDIGARH: The Mayor of Punjab's Mohali
Municipal Corporation was suspended on Thursday
for misusing power and causing loss to the
state exchequer, an official statement said.
"Corrupt practices would not be tolerated at
any cost and as part of this commitment the Mayor
of Municipal Corporation of Mohali, Kulwant
Singh has been suspended along with three other
officers," Local Government Minister Navjot Singh
Sidhu said, as per the statement.
He said the case recommending suspension of
the then Commissioner has been sent to the government.
Apart from this, two other officials have
been chargesheeted too.
Sidhu said it had come to the notice of the department
the Mayor in connivance with Commissioner
Rajesh Dhiman and other officials indulged
in blatant misuse of his position and caused a loss
to the state exchequer while making purchase of a
tree pruning machine.
The machine was priced at Rs 28 lakh in the
country and available for Rs 80 lakh from abroad.
But a resolution was passed for purchasing it at
exorbitant price of Rs 1.79 crore and orders were
placed for its purchase.
The minister said the department got the probe
conducted from the vigilance cell and the orders
initiating action have been issued against them on
the basis of a report of the Chief Vigilance Officer.
Coloniser-turned-politician and Akali Dal rebel
Kulwant Singh was elected as Mohali's first Mayor
in August 2015.
Indians sent 20 billion WhatsApp messages on New Year
NEW DELHI: WhatsApp users in India
sent over a record 20 billion messages to
exchange greetings on New Year's Eve,
the Facebook-owned company said on
Thursday.
The messages were sent between 12
a.m. till 11.59 p.m. on December 31.
"New Year's Eve was WhatsApp's biggest
messaging day ever, closing out a
successful year for the company that included
the introduction of several new
features," WhatsApp said in a statement.
The Indian users had sent 14 billion
messages through the platform on New
Year's Eve last year.
The top five popular features of
WhatsApp included video calling, live
location, delete for everyone (messages),
new album view for photos and "Status"
which saw over 300 million daily active
users.
WhatsApp currently has over 200
monthly active users in India.
Globally, WhatsApp hit a new milestone
with more than 75 billion messages
sent by its users. The 75 billion number
included 13 billion images and five billion
videos.
The messaging platform registered
these numbers despite the fact that users
in India and other parts of the world went
into a tizzy after WhatsApp went down at
midnight on New Year. It was restored in
two hours.

The International News Weekly india
January 05, 2018 | Toronto
11
Triple talaq leads to verbal fights in Rajya Sabha
Indo-Asian News Service
NEW DELHI: The deadlock
on the triple talaq bill
in the Rajya Sabha continued
on Thursday as the government
rejected the opposition's
demand to send the
controversial legislation to
a Select Committee
The government tactically
placed the bill in the
bottom of priority in the list
of business, which the opposition
strongly objected to
and demanded that its motions
for referring the bill
to a Select Committee be
taken up first. The business
list had the Goods and Services
Tax (Compensation
to States) Amendment Bill
ahead of the Muslim Women
(Protection of Rights on
Marriage) Bill, 2017.
Deputy Chairman P.J.
Kurien pleaded helplessness
on the ground that the
listing of business was the
government's priority and
decided to go ahead with
the GST bill, triggering an
opposition uproar which finally
forced him to adjourn
the House for the day.
The government has
decided to put the triple
talaq bill, which seeks to
criminalise instant divorce
by uttering talaq thrice, for
consideration on Friday
-- the last day of the winter
session.
Earlier, the opposition
wanted the Chair to put the
motions moved by Congress
leader Anand Sharma and
Trinamool Congress member
Sukhendu Shekar Roy
for reference of the legislation
to a proposed Select
Committee be put to vote
immediately. They contended
that before the House
adjourned on Wednesday, a
division was to be taken and
so the Rajya Sabha should
pick up the thread from
where it was left.
After some discussion,
the two sides agreed to
conduct a short-duration
discussion on the economy
and take up the matter regarding
triple talaq bill after
that.Following Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley's
reply to the discussion, the
opposition returned to its
demand for a vote on the
two motions.
Jaitley, who is also
Leader of the House, reiterated
his arguments and
questioned the validity of
the two motions saying the
statutory requirement of 24
hours advance notice was
not given and that the proposed
committee was not
representative in character.
Citing earlier rulings,
he said a parliamentary
panel has to represent the
character of the House
and be a "microcosm of the
House". Jaitley also said the
work of a Select Committee
was to improve a bill and a
"saboteur" cannot be a part
of the panel and as such was
disqualified to be a part of it.
Intervening, Sharma
said even when he had
moved the resolution on
Wednesday he had given
in writing that the names
of BJP and NDA MPs could
be included in the proposed
panel. He demanded that
under Rule 131 an unfinished
business had to be finished
first.
Trinamool's Roy said
the matter came to the
House on Wednesday because
the government was
not agreeable to reference
of the bill to a Select Committee
during a discussion
in the Business Advisory
Committee. "I am open to
getting government members
in the committee."
After shutdown over Koregaon riots, tension in Mumbai
Indo-Asian News Service
MUMBAI: After Wednesday's
violence-hit 'Maharashtra
Shutdown', police
on Thursday abruptly
axed permission to a daylong
student convention in
which Gujarat legislator
Jignesh Mewani and JNU
student leader Umar Khalid
were to take part.
Simultaneously, Pune
Police registered a FIR
against the two leaders for
allegedly making inflammatory
speeches at a meeting
in Shaniwarwada in Pune
on December 31.
Mumbai Police swooped
on the Bhaidas Hall, in the
posh western suburb of Vile
Parle on Thursday morning,
and stopped the Leftleaning
Chhatra Bharati's
All India Students Summit
which was scheduled to be
addressed by Khalid and
Mewani.
Considered the Dalit
face of Gujarat politics and
convenor of Rashtriya Dalit
Adhikar Manch, Mewani
was elected to the state Assembly
last month as an Independent.
The police broke up the
planned convention, citing
prohibitory orders imposed
in Mumbai after Wednesday's
state-wide shutdown
which left a 16-year old student
dead in Nanded.
Opposing the police
move, Chhatra Bharati
members staged noisy protests,
raised anti-government
slogans and attempted
to squat outside the venue.
Many were seen running on
to the main road outside.
Defying the police, some
attempted to enter the auditorium
but were evicted by
the police. Many were bundled
into a police van and
detained.
Chhatra Bharati Vice
President Sagar Bhalerao
said the day-long event was
planned long ago in which
both Mewani, Khalid and
others were listed speakers.
Maharashtra legislator
Kapil Patil said around
800 students and delegates
including many girls were
dumped into police vans
and taken to various police
stations where they were
detained for several hours.
"The police are acting at
the behest of the BJP-Shiv
Sena government to crush
the voice of the students
who raise uncomfortable
questions. This is a fascist
government," Patil told
the media. Demanding the
release of the detained students,
scores of students
squatted outside the Juhu
police station raising antigovernment
slogans.
In Pune, the police late
on Wednesday booked Mewani
and Khalid for 'inciting
passions' between
communities following a
complaint by a Pune-based
student, Akshay G. Bikkad.
Bikkad said that at a
meeting held on December
31, Mewani and Khalid
made allegedly inflammatory
speeches that could
create misunderstanding
between communities, and
included excerpts from the
objectionable speeches.
The complainant said
that such inflammatory
speeches can create a wedge
and enmity between communities.
Provoked by
these utterances, some miscreants
attacked the Victory
Pillar (Vijay Stambh) in
Koregaon-Bhima resulting
in riots and created arson
on January 1, he said.
The developments came
in the wake of the series
of disturbances in Maharashtra
starting with the
desecration of a monument
in Vadhu Budruk on December
29, followed by the
riots in Koregaon-Bhima
that left one dead on January
1, and the 'Maharashtra
Shutdown' that killed one
minor boy and left a trail of
destruction across the state.
Hindus in Goa not united as a community: RSS
Agencies
PANAJI: Hindus are not united
as a religious community in Goa
and there is need to join hands for
Hindu-related causes, a RSS state
functionary said on Thursday,
ahead of the organisation's statewide
programme aimed at bringing
together members of the majority
community.
"They (Hindus) are not united.
They are split. That is the main
challenge. We come together in various
temples. We come together on
various festivals, but when we need
to come together as Hindus for a
cause, we are unable to do that. We
neglect it," South Goa Sanghchalak
Yeshwant Paradkar told a press
conference here.
"We need to think about how we
need to come together as a Hindu
samaj and work towards nationhood
and nation," he also said.
Hindus account for nearly 66
per cent of the state population,
while Roman Catholics come next
with a population of more than 25
per cent.
Addressing the same press conference,
Goa Vibhag Sanghachalak
Laxman Behare also said that the
upcoming 'Hindu Chetana Sangam'
was also aimed at "depicting a vivid
view of Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh strength and unity" to college
going youngsters and working
youth.A
The programme will be held
across January 7, across Goa,
where the RSS has faced a split
some months back, after Subhash
Velingkar, a veteran Sangh volunteer
and Sanghachalak for nearly
two decades broke away from the
parent organisation, after differences
with Chief Minister Manohar
Parrikar.
Behare, officially addressing
the media for the first time since
the split, sought to refute any rift.
"Nobody has left Sangh including
Velingkar. He himself considers
a part of Sangh. We go to him,
meet him. We express our views.
He doesn't say that he has left," he
said.
Virsa
Fine Indian Restaurant
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The Falls
a family Lodge
D.Kang 289 296 5001
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5677 Victoria Ave, Niagara Falls, ON, L2G 3L5

The International News Weekly INDIA
January 05, 2018 | Toronto 12
Hotstar provides the most original,
most exclusive, most cutting-edge
online content in North America
Toronto : Indian
megastar SHAH RUKH
KHAN hosts the first-ever
collaboration between
TED Talks and a major
Indian network, Star India,
which premiered on the
online digital platform,
Hotstar. Called TED Talks
India Nayi Soch, the sevenepisode
series showcases
some of the best innovators
and thinkers of Indian
origin debuting their TED
Talks in a language other
than English (Hindi).
Host Shah Rukh Khan
raves: “It is a huge honor
to host this show. When
two giants like Star India
and TED come together, we
are sure to fire up a billion
imaginations. Bringing the
power of ideas to people’s
living rooms across India
and reaching out to,
especially, the youth of our
country is something that’s
really exciting. I want our
youth to be inspired to
think of new ideas...simple
and unique ideas that pack
a punch. Ideas that can
change lives!”
Another genre of
original, cutting-edge
programming that is
exclusive to Hotstar is
the CinePlay. In this era
of constant innovation,
Cineplay is a novel
attempt at storytelling by
combining the grammar
of theatre and power of
cinema. It is an innovation
that presents timeless
theatrical dramas as
digitally-immersive
experiences and is
especially calibrated for all
screen sizes.
CinePlays are not just
live recordings of a play.
Sets are created especially
for each production,
and much like a film, a
CinePlay is shot over a
span of several days. With
an elaborate camera, light
and production set up,
CinePlays weave elements
of cinema into stories from
theatre to create a whole
new experience for Hotstar
audiences.
Some of the most
popular CinePlays on
Hotstar include: Dance Like
a Man, Between the Lines,
Bombay Talkies, Typecaste
and Adhe Adhure, starring
the finest theatre actors of
the generation like Nandita
Das, Saurabh Shukla,
Lillete Dubey and Darshan
Jariwala.
And Hotstar's exclusive
content does not end
there...it ranges from
riveting documentaries
to incredible lifestyle and
travel shows:
Twist of Taste
With Vikas Khanna
On Twist of Taste,
join Michelin-starred chef
Vikas Khanna on culinary
journeys across India and
America that will inspire
Style & the City
With Shibani Dandekar
new experiments in the
kitchen!
Style & the City is a
travel show that marries
fashion with street style.
Design HQ
With Asheish Shah
Indian designers Rocky S,
Rina Dhaka & Ashish Soni
will create ensembles for
their celebrity clients. The
show is hosted by Shibani
Dandekar.
Design HQ: Join
interior designer Ashiesh
Shah as he decodes "how
to design your own space"
with the likes of Hrithik
Roshan, Aditya Roy Kapoor
and others. Hrithik shares
how he uses quotes as art
across his house and how
he is extremely methodical
when it comes to picking
furniture, color and even
art.
For further information
please contact Rekha
Gaddam at rekha@
ethnicitymatters.com or at
905 599 3058.
BJP is anti-Dalit, behind
Koregaon riots: Delhi Minister
Agencies
NEW DELHI: Delhi Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Thursday said
the BJP and its leaders were behind the riots in Bhima-
Koregaon of Pune.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers, led by the minister,
also protested outside Maharashtra Sadan here and
raised slogans against the BJP and its leaders.
The riots followed violence in Bhima-Koregaon of
Pune on Monday during the 200th anniversary celebrations
of the Anglo-Maratha War of 1818.
Hundreds of thousands of Dalits had assembled at
Sanaswadi village in Maharashtra when stone-pelting, allegedly
by some rightwing groups carrying saffron flags,
started. In the ensuing violence, more than 30 vehicles
were torched or damaged and a young man was killed.
The violence then spread out to Mumbai and other parts
of Maharashtra. Speaking to reporters, the minister said
that this was not the first time that the BJP and its workers
were attacking Dalits and they had earlier attacked
Dalits in Gujarat.
"This was done at the behest of the regional BJP-led
government as they have an anti-Dalit mindset," Gautam
said. The minister urged the government to punish the
guilty as soon as possible.
HC warns Delhi ashram founder who kept girls confined
Agencies
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High
Court on Thursday warned the
founder of an ashram, where girls
and women were allegedly being
kept in illegal confinement in the
name of religious preaching, that
it will issue a warrant against him
if he doesn't appear before it.
A division bench of Acting
Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice
C. Hari Shankar also said it
will direct the CBI to register kidnapping
cases against Virendra
Dev Dixit, the founder of the Rohini-based
ashram Adhyatmik Vishwa
Vidyalaya, if the girls rescued
from there are found to be minors.
"Contain yourself (referring to
Dixit) within the four corners of
the law. Don't resort to misuse of
law. We will direct the CBI to register
kidnapping cases if the children
are found to be minor," said
the court.
The bench said the conduct of
Dixit was "extremely suspicious"
and asked the Central Bureau of
Investigation to give a report on
his whereabouts within two weeks.
The court said: "We can't believe
in 21st Century, you (Dixit)
will keep some human beings in
such an inhuman condition..."
The committee appointed by
the court to inspect the ashram
said that Dixit and other ashram
members were making the girls
housed there lodge false complaints
against their family members.
These complaints appear to
have been lodged to dissuade the
family members from pursuing
cases against the ashram and Dixit,
said the court.
Deepak Anthony D'Silva, a
close aide of Dixit, appeared before
the court and said that he has
no clue about the present location
of the Ashram's founder. Earlier,
when the bench sought whereabouts
of Dixit, his counsel had
told the court that he would get
D'Silva before the court.
The CBI told the court that on
Wednesday it has registered three
cases against Dixit for allegedly
keeping several women and minor
girls hostage at his ashram here.
The court also asked the committee
to file its response in the
case before February 5, the next
date of the hearing.
Earlier, the high court had
transferred the case from the police
to the CBI and asked the agency
to forthwith set up a special investigation
team to probe various
FIRs of girls and women being allegedly
lured into the ashram on
the pretext of spiritual guidance
but then being raped.
The committee had earlier told
the court that the girls and women
were kept in the ashram in "unhygienic
and animal-like conditions
with no privacy even for bathing".
The court's order came on a plea
filed by NGO Foundation for Social
Empowerment.

The International News Weekly India
January 05, 2018 | Toronto
13
India uses robots in coronary surgery first time outside US
Agencies
AHMEDABAD: Ahmedabad-based,
internationally-reputed
cardiologist Tejas
Patel on Thursday said
he has introduced here vascular
robotic technology
for the first time anywhere
outside the US to perform
coronary angioplasty and
stenting.
Patel told reporters
here that the new technology,
which he had implemented
on 57 patients in a
month, would make India a
frontrunner in the modern
healthcare system with almost
zero failure rate in angioplasty
and stenting.
He introduced the technology
at the Apex Heart
Institute here, making the
state of the art cardiology
centre a "global centre of
excellence" outside the US.
Patel said the first robot
was installed at the institute
on December 7 and in
less than a month he and
his team had carried out 57
surgeries with the robotics
technology.
"The Apex Heart Institute,
Ahmedabad, is the
first institute in the world
outside the US to have the
robotics technology for angioplasty
and stenting," he
claimed.
In the USA too, the technology
was available only
at eight centres and was introduced
just about a year
ago. "India is much ahead
of any other country, including
the European countries
to introduce this," he
said.
He said though robotics
technology for other parts
of the body arrived many
years ago, it took longer
for the scientists to perfect
the technique for heart as it
was the only "moving" part
in the body.
According to Patel,
the new technology could
achieve "near cent per cent
success rate and almost
zero per cent failure rate"
which was the ultimate
objective of the healthcare
system besides keeping
both the doctors, nurses
and other hospital staff outside
the radiation impact.
He said the robotics
system could secure nearly
five to 10 times more accuracy
than the manual
system and would help the
country achieve the ultimate
goal of super speciality
healthcare facilities to
remote villages as robotics
system would soon be able
to perform such surgeries
from distance.
Patel stated that costwise
the new technology
would be about Rs 50,000 to
Rs 1.5 lakh more expensive
than the traditional manual
system, but added that
the higher expenses would
be acceptable given its success
rate.
Indian capital gets first
automated vehicle
fitness centre
By Nikhil M. Babu
Why silence on mass cow
deaths in MP, Congress asks PM
NEW DELHI: Delhi's first automated commercial vehicle
fitness testing centre will be opened during the current
month, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot
said. All commercial vehicles, including buses, taxis, autorickshaws,
heavy and light commercial vehicle, among
others, have to undergo testing and get a fitness certificate.
The testing centre at Jhuljhuli of west Delhi would be
better compared to visual inspection currently done at
the testing facility in Burari of North Delhi, according to
officials. New commercial vehicles have to be tested and
also every year after the first two years, for the vehicle's
overall performance and its condition.
"For the past one month, we have been doing fitness
testing of school buses and AITP (All India Tourist Permit)
buses at the Jhuljhuli centre on a pilot basis," Delhi
Transport Department Special Commissioner K.K. Dahiya
told IANS.
The testing of different parts of a vehicle like brakes
and headlights will be done by machines and a test result
would be generated. Dahiya said that the new centre
would take pressure off the only vehicle fitness testing
centre in Burari. The Jhuljhuli centre, set up in three
acres of land, is a joint venture between the Union Ministry
of Road Transport and Highways and the Delhi
government. Dahiya said that the Burari centre will continue
to function and they plan to automate the centre by
the end of the current year.
Agencies
BHOPAL: The Congress
in Madhya Pradesh
on Thursday questioned
the silence of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and
Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat
over the deaths of hundreds
of cows in a shelter in
the state.
Leader of Opposition
Ajay Singh said he wrote
to Modi and Bhagwat demanding
that the deaths of
cows in the country's biggest
shelter in Agar Malwa
district's Salariya village
be probed and guilty be
booked for murder.
State Congress chief
Arun Yadav asked why
are the people who give a
free hand to cow vigilantes,
who kill people caught with
a single cow, silent on the
deaths of so many cows.
Ajay Singh said he visited
the shelter with Yadav
on Tuesday and saw that
many cows were in a bad
condition. "The cows who
had died had not been buried
properly and dogs were
feasting on the carcasses...
It was a shameful sight."
"To get votes, these
people (in the Bharatiya
Janata Party) do not shy
away from calling the cow
'gau mata' (cow mother)
and even 'rashtra mata'
(mother of the nation) but
once the votes are in, they
forget everything." The two
Congress leaders said that
in the past three months,
more than 400 cows have
died at the shelter but the
administration is accepting
only 117 deaths.
The letter was sent to
Bhagwat in Ujjain where
the RSS chief is currently
camping with some
Bharatiya Janata Party
members.
Bhagwat and Chief
Minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan were both present
at the foundation laying
ceremony of this shelter,
the letter said, adding
Chouhan had even said the
spot will be made a pilgrimage
place of cows.
No leak of Aadhaar data, as UIDAI denies Tribune report
Indo-Asian News Service
NEW DELHI: Unique
Identification Authority
of India (UIDAI) on Thursday
said its search facility
for grievance redressal
may have been misused
but denied any breach or
leak of Aadhaar data after
a Tribune reported it
bought unrestricted access
to details of over one
billion Aadhaar numbers
-- for just Rs 500 and in 10
minutes.
The authority that collects
and maintains biometric
and other details
for the unique ID holders
called The Tribune report
"a case of misreporting".
But the newspaper stood
by its story, saying the
UIDAI claiming no breach
of Aadhaar data "flies in
the face of that".
"UIDAI assures that
there has not been any
Aadhaar data breach...
The Aadhaar data including
biometric information
is fully safe and secure,"
an UIDAI statement said,
adding that the data was
secure with a "robust uncompromised
security".
The authority said it
had given search facility
for the purpose of grievance
redressal to designated
personnel and state government
officials to help
residents. The search facility,
the statement said,
"gives only limited access
to name and other details
and has no access to biometric
details.
"The reported case appears
to be instance of
misuse of the grievance
redressal search facility.
As UIDAI maintains complete
log and traceability
of the facility, the legal action
including lodging of
FIR against the persons involved
in the instant case
is being done."
The Tribune report,
widely shared on social
media, claimed that it took
just Rs 500 and 10 minutes
for the newspaper to get access
through an "agent" to
every detail of any individual
submitted to the UIDAI
including name, address,
postal code (PIN), photo,
phone number and email.
The newspaper said
it paid another Rs 300, for
which the "agent" provided
a software to facilitate the
printing of the Aadhaar
card after entering the
Aadhaar number of any individual.
In its point-by-point
response to UIDAI's denial,
the newspaper said
UIDAI's admission that the
search facility on its website
had been "misused"
did not change the fact that
the theft had taken taken
place.
"Aadhaar data has been
accessed by unauthorised
people. The fact is that it
has been misused to steal
data - personal information
such as name, date of
birth, address, PIN, photo,
phone number, e-mail - at
will, for any Aadhaar number."
The UIDAI said an Aadhaar
number was not a secret
number and needed to
be shared with authorised
agencies to avail certain
service or benefit of government
welfare schemes
or other services and the
proper use of Aadhaar
number posed no security
and financial threat as for
a successful authentication
fingerprint or iris of
individual was required.

The International News Weekly January 05, 2018 | Toronto 14
Pakistani infant gets new
life in Indian hospital
Agencies
NOIDA: A four-month-old baby
from Lahore in Pakistan has been
blessed with a new lease of life
after doctors here successfully
treated him for a rare congenital
heart disease.
Baby Rohaan was just five
days old when he was diagnosed
with life threatening heart disease
called 'Hypoplastic Left
Heart Syndrome (HLHS) -- a heart
defect that affects normal blood
flow through the heart as the foetus
develops.
His parents approached External
Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj on Twitter to get a medical
visa.
Rohaan was brought to Jaypee
Hospital from Pakistan when
he was just a month old and
weighed just 2.1 kg.
"Rohaan was suffering from
rarest of the rare congenital
heart disease. His life was at huge
risk as the left side of his heart
was critically underdeveloped,"
Rajesh Sharma, Director, Paediatric
Cardiology Department, Jaypee
Hospital, said in a statement
on Thursday.
"The pressure in his lungs
used to shoot up very quickly.
From the very first month Rohaan
used to have heavy breathing and
his weight was not increasing,"
Sharma added.
According to the doctors, Rohaan's
blood flow from the right
ventricle was rerouted to improve
the oxygenated blood delivery
to the vital organs by providing
alternative source of pulmonary
circulation.
Post a 10-hour surgery, the
baby was shifted to ICU where, after
a few hours, his heart function
deteriorated with slowing of heart
and hypertension.
Further, the doctors had to
perform Extracorporeal Membrane
Oxygenation (ECMO)
-- a technique of providing prolonged
cardiac and respiratory
support to patients whose heart
and lungs are unable to provide
an adequate amount of gas exchange
or perfusion to sustain
life.
"The baby was taken off the
ECMO after five days and his
chest was closed after his heart
started functioning better as per
2-D echo analysis," Sharma explained.
Baby Rohaan also developed
breathing difficulty due to Tracheobronchomalacia
(a condition
where the cartilaginous
structures of the airway walls
in the trachea and bronchi are
weak).
Hence, a TRACHEOSTOMY
was done to facilitate weaning
that was removed after 15 days of
the surgery and Rohaan was then
shifted to the normal ward.
"One out of 1,000 children
has such a critical heart disease
which Rohaan was suffering
from. Rohaan was just a month
old when we operated him but
still there was a risk of five to 10
percent in the surgery," Sharma
said. Rohaan is recovering now
and will go back to Pakistan in
January, the doctors said.
Four of family charred
to death in Mumbai
Agencies
MUMBAI: Four members of a family, including two
children, were charred after a fire broke out as they
slept in a residential building in Andheri East area
of Mumbai.
A least five others were brought out injured from
the fire that broke out at 2 a.m. in Marol's Maimun
Manzil at the sprawling Dawoodi Bohra Colony, the
BMC Disaster Control said.
The deceased were identified as: Sakina A. Kapasi
(14), Mohsin A. Kapasi (10), Tasleem A. Kapasi (42)
and a senior citizen, Dawood Ali Kapasi (80).
They were all residing in a flat on the third floor of
the four-storey building.
Some members of the neighbouring family of Kotharis
also sustained injuries in the fire and were being
treated.
They are: as Ibrahim Kothari (57), Sakina Kothari
(53), Hussain Kothari (26) and Hafiza Kothari (21).
Of the four, Ibrahim was admitted to the Intensive
Care Unit of Cooper Hospital.
Another injured woman, Zara Cutlerywalla (42)
was discharged after treatment.
The cause of the fire was not yet known but shortcircuit
in the electrical fittings has not been ruled out.
Fire Brigade officials said the blaze engulfed the
flat from all four sides, trapping the ill-fated Kapasi
family.
Finally, it was brought under control around 5
a.m.

The International News Weekly WORLD
January 05, 2018 | Toronto
15
After cutting $255M aid, US says
Pakistan not fulfilling obligations
Agencies
WASHINGTON: After
the Trump administration
confirmed suspending $255
million of military aid to
Pakistan for "harbouring
terrorists", US Press Secretary
Sarah Sanders said
Islamabad should do more
to fight terrorism.
Addressing the press at
the White House on Tuesday,
Sanders said the actions
being taken against
Islamabad were a followup
to Trump's South Asia
policy announced last
year.
"The President outlined
a new strategy for Afghanistan
and South Asia
in August. At that time, he
laid out (a policy) and said
Pakistan is not fulfilling its
obligations," she said.
"The President is simply
following through on a
commitment that he made
(...) we know Pakistan can
do more to fight terrorism
and we want them to step
up and do that."
Asked if there was any
particular incident that
prompted the US President's
Monday tweet, Sanders
said: "This is something
that the President
has been following and has
talked about back during
August when he laid out
his Afghanistan and South
Asia strategy.
"And this is something
the administration continues
to watch on a daily basis,"
she said.
Sanders said that further
action against Pakistan
-- and other countries
that did not side with the
US on Jerusalem at the UN
-- would be announced in
the next 24-48 hours.
The White House's
move to suspend military
aid has been seen as the
first step to implementing
Trump's pledge to tighten
economic restrictions on
Pakistan.
Military aid to Islamabad
was cut after Trump,
in a tweet, accused Pakistan
of being a "liar".
Imran says Trump
working with
Pakistan's enemies
Agencies
ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh Police detained the wife
and in-laws of New York's 'attempted suicide bomber'
Akayed Ullah for questioning in Dhaka, the media reported.
US President Donald Trump is working on the
agenda of Pakistan's "enemies", PTI Chairman Imran
Khan said on Tuesday, as he slammed Washington's
decision to cut aid to Islamabad for lying and giving
safe haven to terrorists.
Speaking to reporters after appearing before an
anti terrorism court in cases pertaining to violence
during a 2014 sit-in, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief
said: "He (Trump) had been briefed by Pakistan's enemies
and he is working on their agenda."
Khan said Trump was unaware of the realities in
Afghanistan and the sacrifices made by Pakistan, Geo
News reported.
"Trump has no understanding of the war on terror
and the destruction caused in Pakistan," Khan said.
"Everyone knows the damages this caused to our economy.
Seventy thousand people had been killed in the
war which had nothing to do with Pakistan."
The cricketer-turned-politician said this was the
reason why he discouraged leaders from fighting
someone else's war.
"Today, the time has shown us that we will never
become a part of someone else's war no matter how
much money is offered. The facts are out in the open
now."
China defends Pakistan against Trump's remarks
By Gaurav Sharma
BEIJING: With US President
Donald Trump blasted
Pakistan for squandering
billions of American aid
meant to flush out terrorism
and pledged to give it
no more money, Beijing
has defended Islamabad
on expected lines. The Chinese
Foreign Ministry said
Pakistan had made "sacrifices"
in combating terrorism
and the international
community should notice
the efforts made by Islamabad.
"Pakistan has made
very outstanding contributions
to the global cause
of counter-terrorism. The
international community
Agencies
NEW YORK: US researchers
have developed a spermsorting
device that can select
faster and healthier sperm
and help women undergoing
in-vitro fertilisation (IVF)
become pregnant with fewer
treatment cycles.
The microfluidic device,
dubbed SPARTAN, short
for Simple Periodic ARray
for Trapping And IsolatioN,
uses an "obstacle course"
to sort and select faster and
healthier sperm cells for use
in IVF treatment.
The SPARTAN device,
which is about 4 mm wide
and 12 to 16 mm long, uses
a field of three-dimensional
posts that create an obstacle
course for the swimming
should acknowledge that,"
Ministry spokesperson
Geng Shuang said.
In his most stinging
remarks against Pakistan,
Trump on Monday said Islamabad
had fooled Washington
by taking all the aid
but doing nothing against
terrorism. "The US has
foolishly given Pakistan
more than $33 billion in aid
sperm cells.
Sperms are simply injected
into one end of the
SPARTAN device, and the
strongest and healthiest
sperm get through this array
the fastest and then are
collected at the outlet to be
used in the IVF process.
This in-clinic sorting procedure
takes between 5 and 30
minutes.
The device, described in
over the last 15 years, and
they have given us nothing
but lies and deceit, thinking
of our leaders as fools."
Trump tweeted.
"They give safe haven
to the terrorists we hunt
in Afghanistan, with little
help. No more!"
China comes to Pakistan's
defence every time
it is pilloried for failing to
the journal Advanced Science,
culls out sperms with
malformations, such as bent
necks or larger heads, which
can slow their movement.
"With SPARTAN, we not
only get sperm with excellent
motility, but also with
normal morphology and
better DNA integrity, helping
families worldwide by
reducing the stress of multiple
IVF procedures, while
crack down on terrorists
and terror outfits on its
soil.
China's has invested
heavily in Pakistan, with
a key artery of its Belt
and Road project passing
through its territory.
"China and Pakistan
are all-weather partners
and we stand ready to promote
and deepen our allround
cooperation so as to
bring benefits to the two
sides," the spokesperson
said. "Meanwhile, we are
glad to see Pakistan engaging
in international cooperation
including counterterrorism
on the basis of
mutual respect so as to contribute
to regional peace
and stability."
Sperm-sorting device may boost IVF pregnancy
potentially increasing pregnancy
rates," said Erkan
Tuzel, associate professor at
the Worcester Polytechnic
Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts.
"This could increase
patients' chances of getting
pregnant," Tuzel added.
The SPARTAN device
also prevents the type of
damage to cells that can occur
with traditional sorting
methods, such as those using
high-force centrifuges.
It also cuts down the
need for sperm to be frozen
and shipped to a lab for
processing as well the overall
cost on IVF treatments,
because SPARTAN helps
patients become pregnant
without going through as
many treatment cycles.

The International News Weekly OFF-BEAT
January 05, 2018 | Toronto 16
Agencies
NEW DELHI: As we enter
2018, most of us also commit
to being better versions
of ourselves. Leading a
healthier lifestyle usually
tops the list, but it is also
one of the toughest things
to achieve.
To finally break that
cycle of unfulfilled resolutions,
commit to just a few
healthy habits and cultivate
them throughout the year.
Stick with them for a few
weeks, and you will start
feeling so good that you
will want to follow them for
the rest of the year, says Dr
Hariprasad, Ayurveda Expert
at The Himalaya Drug
Company. He recommends
a four simple tips that you
can incorporate this new
year to finally become a
new you.
Exercise daily: Promise
yourself that you will spend
a minimum of 40 minutes
every day exercising. You
don't need to follow the
Do this facial exercise
to look younger
Agencies
NEW YORK: Do you feel old and wrinkled? Just 30
minutes of facial exercises which includes puckering
and squeezing the cheeks daily can make you look three
years younger, reveals a study.
Instead of undergoing anti-ageing skin treatments
and care routines, middle-aged women undergoing this
non-toxic method can have a younger appearance with
fuller upper and lower cheeks and reduce some visible
signs of ageing, the study further showed.
"Facial exercises that may be beneficial include those
that entail puckering and squeezing the cheeks. There
are many muscles that collectively allow movement of
the cheeks, and our study showed that building these
up makes the upper and lower cheeks look fuller," said
Murad Alam, Professor at the Northwestern University
in Chicago, US. "The exercises enlarge and strengthen
the facial muscles, so the face becomes firmer and more
toned and shaped like a younger face," Alam added.
Fat pads present in between the muscle and the skin
are responsible for providing firmness to the cheeks and
keeping a toned shape of the face.
But as the skin starts ageing, the face pads too gradually
becomes thinner. The sagging of the pads makes the
elasticity of the facial skin loose and fall down.
"But if muscle underneath becomes bigger, the skin
has more stuffing underneath it and the firmer muscle
appears to make the shape of the face more full," noted
Emily Poon, an assistant research professor at the varsity.
"Muscle growth is increasing the facial volume and
counteracting the effects of age-related fat thinning and
skin loosening," Poon explained, in the paper published
in the journal JAMA Dermatology.
The researchers studied over middle-aged women,
aged between 40 to 65 years, who underwent face-to-face
90-minute training sessions from a facial exercise instructor.
At home, they continued to do these exercises
for a total of 20 weeks.
Four habits to
stay healthy in
same routine; just ensure
that you work out every
single day. This could be
a great way to fulfill a second
new year resolution of
learning a new skill such
as yoga or a fun dance form
such as salsa. Exercising
should be exciting, and
something that you look
forward to. Let it not become
a chore. Simple forms
of exercise go a long way in
preventive care -- they help
reduce the risk of cardiovascular
diseases and osteoporosis,
alleviate depression
and anxiety, and even
boost mental alertness and
confidence.
Get enough sleep: The function
of sleep is to not only
relax the body, but also rest
and restore the mind. It is
necessary to heal and repair
your heart and blood
vessels. Ongoing sleep deficiency
has been linked to
an increased risk of various
health issues that affect the
heart as well as kidney, and
also lead to high blood pressure,
diabetes, and stroke.
While you can function for
a while without getting the
necessary amount of sleep
every day, it will eventually
take a toll on you. Commit
to sleeping a minimum of
seven hours a day while
aiming for eight, and you
will feel yourself getting
Agencies
Agencies
LONDON: Besides keeping
your gut healthy,
consuming a diet rich in
probiotics -- also called as
healthier and happier in a
short amount of time.
Go natural: This year, make
long-term wellness your
goal instead of just trying to
solve the problem at hand.
As per Ayurveda texts and
modern research, Guduchi
can significantly help in
preventive care, as it is a
LONDON: Concerned over
the high intake of sugar
from unhealthy snacks
among young children in
England, a new campaign
has urged parents to limit
the intake of calories to just
200 per day by including
foods such as malt loaf, lowsugar
yoghurt and drinks
with no added sugar.
The suggestions from
Public Health England
(PHE) -- a government
agency for preventing ill
health -- are part of their
newly launched campaign
"Change4Life".
The Change4Life campaign
wants parents to give
their children a maximum
of two snacks a day containing
no more than 100
calories each, not including
fruit and vegetables, the
BBC reported on Tuesday.
The eight-week
Change4Life campaign
will offer parents moneyoff
vouchers towards items
including malt loaf, lowersugar
yoghurt and drinks
with no added sugar in
some supermarkets.
The offer will also be extended
on a range of healthier
snacks include packs
of chopped vegetables and
fruit, sugar-free jelly, and
great promoter of immunity,
aids in the fight against
respiratory problems, and
helps you get healthier. The
herb is rich in antioxidants,
and including it in your daily
life can help you achieve
better health. Adopting preventive
care by consuming
appropriate supplements
plain rice crackers at selected
supermarkets.
According to the PHE's
National Diet and Nutritional
Survey, children between
the ages of four and
10 consumed 51.2 per cent of
their sugar from unhealthy
snacks, including biscuits,
cakes, pastries, buns,
sweets and fizzy and juice
drinks.
On average, primary
school children have at
least three sugary snacks a
"good" or "helpful" bacteria
-- may help protect against
depression, finds a mice
study. Probiotics are live
bacteria and yeasts that
are good for health, especially
the digestive system.
The findings showed
that rats which lived solely
on the fatty diet were found
to develop behaviour similar
to depression, while the
rats receiving the probiotics-enriched
drinking water
remained neutral in
their behaviour.
Further, the rats
that did not receive
probiotics had an
increased number of white
blood cells in their brain
tissue, which can be a sign
of chronic inflammation,
and is also seen in the fatty
tissues and livers of overweight
people and diabetics.
Conversely, these cells
were found decreased in
the brains of the rats with
probiotics in their drinking
water.
"This may indicate
that one of the things the
probiotics do is work to
reprogramme the immune
system. In this study,
can help reduce the chances
of facing health problems
altogether, rather than simply
resorting to curative
care when it arises.
Drink enough water: If you
want to keep the doctor
away, eight glasses of water
a day is the way to do it.
Water is the fuel your body
runs on; it is necessary to
keep your body functioning
well. Drinking enough
water can help you with
weight loss, detoxification,
digestion, beautiful skin
and hair, and even easy
bowel movement. Work at
this goal throughout the
day and it will keep getting
easier. There are many
ways to achieve this goal.
Download an app, play a
game, or set a reminder, but
ensure you keep reaching
for that glass of water and
hit that two-litre goal.
Take control of your
health and life by cultivating
these simple habits to
ensure that you make the
most of this new year.
Limit kid's snacks to 200 calories a day
day, which means they can
easily consume three times
more sugar than the recommended
maximum.
Each year children consume,
on average, some 400
biscuits, 120 cakes, buns
and pastries, 100 portions
of sweets, 70 chocolate bars
and ice creams and 150 juice
drink pouches and cans of
fizzy drink, the findings revealed.
"If you wander through
a supermarket you see
many more things being
sold as snacks than ever
before," Alison Tedstone,
chief nutritionist at Public
Health England, was quoted
as saying to the BBC.
"What has changed is
kids' lunch boxes are getting
full of snacking products. It
leads to a lot of calories for
lunch," Tedstone added.
Eating probiotics could prevent depression
the rats offset the consequences
of the fatty diet
with the help of probiotics,
so that they were on
par with their peers in the
control group," Anders
Abildgaard, researcher at
the Aarhus University in
Denmark.
"This is a fascinating
discovery that supports the
conclusion that probiotics,
which primarily work in
the intestines, also affect
the brain. That makes the
result interesting for the
treatment of depression,"
Abildgaard added.

The International News Weekly VIEW
January 05, 2018 | Toronto
17
How the killing of US soldier made
Trump angry with Pakistan
By Arrun Louis
NEW YORK: Angered
by the killing of an American
soldier by terrorists in
Afghanistan, US President
Donald Trump let off the
first Twitter salvo of 2018
bringing into sharp focus
Washington's $33-billion
problem of Pakistan and Islamabad's
ties to terror and
anti-American activities.
Trump's warning also
tests the limits of Washington's
influence and power to
make Islamabad give up its
use of terrorists as proxy.
"No more," Trump ended
his New Year morning
tweet on Pakistan that also
took a swipe at his predecessors,
Barack Obama and
George W. Bush, for "foolishly"
aiding Islamabad
which thinks of US leaders
as "fools".
"They give safe haven to
the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan,
with little help,"
he tweeted, accusing Islamabad
of lies and deceit.
On Tuesday, the administration's
hawk, Permanent
UN Representative
Nikki Haley, emphasised
Trump's resolve.
"The President is willing
to go to great lengths to
stop all funding for Pakistan
if they continue to harbour
and support terrorism," she
declared.
If the timing of his 6.12
a.m. tweet on New Year's
Day while the country was
barely awake after the midnight
celebrations seemed
a puzzle, the provocation
was revealed later when the
US commander in Afghanistan,
General John Nicholson,
announced the death
of the soldier in Nangarhar
province, which borders
Pakistan. Four other soldiers
were injured in the
attack. Trump's "No more"
declaration is a restatement
of what was already
underway -- in August the
administration had notified
Congress that it was withholding
$225 million in military
aid to Pakistan.
Yet, as with all Trump's
actions, it is a transactional
ploy in the style of a businessman
and "no more"
isn't the final, irrevocable
mandate it would appear.
Trump had stepped back
once already. In August, he
said Pakistan has "much to
lose" by harbouring terrorists
and his administration
announced it was holding
back aid.
But in October after
Pakistanis got a US citizen
released from Haqqani
captivity, Trump tweeted:
"Starting to develop much
better relations with Pakistan
and its leaders. I want
to thank them for their cooperation
on many fronts."
Trump, who is raising
troop levels in Afghanistan,
is caught between two
needs: Preventing terrorist
attacks on US personnel,
especially from Islamabad's
proxies, while keeping the
sea-based supply lines to
landlocked Afghanistan
open.
Pakistan also borders
Trump's great foe, Iran,
which he took on in his very
next tweet.
Therefore, Islamabad
also has bargaining chips
and it will come down to
how much each side can
give up to keep the uneasy
relationship going.
In one of the first responses
to Trump's tweet,
Islamabad banned Lashkare-Taiba
(LeT) leader Hafiz
Saeed's charitable organisation,
Jamaat-ud-Dawa, from
collecting donations. But
the mastermind of the 2008
terrorist attacks in Mumbai
continues to operate freely
in Pakistan in defiance of
the US, which has put a $10
million bounty on him.
How Haridwar Muslim teacher
takes yoga to Afghanistan
The other part of the
Trump strategy brings India
into play. He has called
for a greater role for India
in Afghanistan -- but mostly
as an aid-giver. Ironically,
India has been able to fulfil
this role only through the
Iranian Chabahar Port.
The greater part of the
regional role Trump sees
for India is in the Indo-
Pacific region as a counterweight
to China.
That brings China into
both the aid and strategic
equations with Pakistan
that also faces off India,
with which Beijing's relationships
are often tense.
China is emerging as
the main economic power
in Pakistan through aid,
loans and investments.
Pakistan is the keystone
of Beijing's ambitious One
Belt, One Road (OBOR) plan
to build a link all the way to
Europe. A part of that is the
China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC) which
aims to grow Pakistan's
economy through several
billion dollars of investments
and aid in several
sectors, ranging from infrastructure
and irrigation to
industry and agriculture.
To that extent, Pakistan
is becoming less dependent
on the US. But mostly the
US aid has been mostly unconditional,
geared to the
military and giving access
to technologically advanced
armaments. In contrast,
China's aid comes at a future
cost as a lot of it is in
the form of loans and investments.
The OBOR and
CPEC require protection
from terrorists and stability.
While this would require
Pakistan to control terrorism
domestically, it could
also suit Beijing to divert
terrorists' attention to India
and to a lesser extent to Afghanistan.
Simultaneously,
China is trying to assume
a higher profile in Afghanistan,
which could benefit
Pakistan.
Last month, Foreign
Ministers Salahuddin Rabbani
of Afghanistan, Khawaja
Asif of Pakistan and
Wang Yi of China met in
Beijing. Afghanistan's Defence
Minister Tariq Shah
Bahrami also went to Beijing.
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Indo-Asian News Service
HARIDWAR: A young yoga teacher
from Haridwar is quietly making
waves in Afghanistan, spreading the
ancient Indian science of harmonisation
of body, mind and spirit to a rising
number of yoga enthusiasts in that
country.
In a short span since he based himself
in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif,
Ghulam Askari Zaidi, in
his mid-30s, has helped popularise yoga
among numerous young and not-soyoung
Afghans -- both male and female.
Originally from Lucknow, Zaidi
was sent to Afghanistan for a year by
the Indian Council of Cultural Relations
(ICCR). Zaidi has been involved
with the Yoga Foundation at Mazare-Sharif,
once the hub of the anti-Taliban
Northern Alliance, set up by the
Afghanistan Olympic Committee's
zonal unit in collaboration with the
Indian consulate there. Zaidi said in
a telephonic interview that people in
Afghanistan, particularly youths, were
most enthusiastic about yoga.
"The reason is they find it beneficial
in so many ways. People have been
attracted to yoga because of the health
benefits they can get from it as well as
spiritual well-being," he said.
"Some are also interested in teaching
and promoting yoga in other countries,"
he added. "And with all the conflict
and war around them, they find
yoga soothing."
Zaidi's yoga classes are held mostly
within the premises of the Indian consulate
at Mazar-e-Sharif. Some are held
in selected school classrooms.
"The classes attract both male and
female students of all age groups," he
said. "Some students are from women's
organisations. Others are sportspersons
or the physically challenged.
There are a lot of children as well."
A post-graduate in yoga from Dev
Sanskriti Vishwa Vidyalaya (DSVV)
in Haridwar and an Assistant Professor
at its yoga department, Zaidi
interacts with the Afghans learning
yoga in English, Farsi and Urdu.
While initially he found some
hesitation amongst some Afghans in
learning yoga as they felt it was linked
to Hinduism, their understanding has
radically changed now, he said.
One reason for this, he felt, was
the influence of the Indian media in
Afghanistan. More and more Afghans
realised that although an ancient Indian
science, yoga was about mind
control and having better health
through systematic and regular practice.
Zaidi admitted there were some
problems too. "While the environment
in Afghanistan is generally favourable
for yoga, there are certain
constraints arising mostly from issues
related to security," he said.
"These hinder free movement and
classes outside the consulate complex
have to be held under tight security."
Afghan women in particular, both
young and the not-so-young, prefer to
learn yoga in classrooms instead of in
the open, Zaidi said. "But it is safe to
say that yoga has got a firm footing
in Afghanistan." Two more yoga students
from the Dev Sanskriti Vishwa
Vidyalaya here are likely to be sent
on similar deputations by the ICCR,
said Pro Vice Chancellor Chinmay
Pandya.
Agencies
SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook is running a small test
to let users post their Instagram "Stories" directly to
WhatsApp Status.
The new feature will let users post decorated photos,
videos and GIFs on WhatsApp which will disappear
after 24 hours. "An Instagram Story posted as a
WhatsApp Status also becomes encrypted like the rest
of WhatsApp," TechCrunch reported on Wednesday.
"We are always testing ways to improve the experience
on Instagram and make it easier to share any
moment with the people who matter to you," a Facebook
spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced
that 'Instagram Stories' and 'WhatsApp Status' both
now have 300 million daily active users.
The features, which are the clones of rival app
Snapchat, now boast numbers almost twice the size of
Snapchat that has 173 million daily active users.
Facebook has also rolled out a feature that lets
users share 'Instagram Stories' directly to 'Facebook
Stories'. The option to syndicate Instagram Stories to
Facebook Stories is available for US users and will be
officially rolled out for everyone around the world.

The International News Weekly MONEY/REAL ESTATE
January 05, 2018 | Toronto 18
2018 home sales in B.C. expected to decline
The Caandian Press
VANCOUVER: An upward
trend in housing prices isn't expected
to significantly change in
British Columbia despite an anticipated
slowdown in sales this
year, economists say.
The B.C. Real Estate Association's
chief economist said
Wednesday that new housing
stock, slightly higher interest
rates and tighter mortgage regulations
will result in about a 10
per cent decline in sales compared
with 2017.
But demand continues to
outpace supply in most markets
from Vancouver Island to the
Okanagan, which spurs rising
prices, Cameron Muir said.
"We would need a combination
of a pretty substantial
decline in demand as well as
significant increases in overall
residential supply in order to
get to the point in which prices
would decline," Muir said.
Nationally, the Canadian
Real Estate Association has said
tighter mortgage regulations
imposed on Monday, including
a stress test for uninsured mortgages,
would result in fewer sales
and reduced prices by about 1.4
per cent to an average selling
price of $503,100 this year.
Bryan Yu, economist with
Central 1 Credit Union, said the
changes may slow the pace of
first-time buyers entering the
market or lead to adjustments in
what people choose to buy.
While this may slow sales,
particularly in the first quarter
of this year, he said B.C.'s growing
economy and jobs will maintain
a strong demand.
"I think the overall economic
drivers are still there to support
rising prices through 2018," Yu
said.
The Real Estate Board of
Greater Vancouver said Wednesday
the benchmark price for
all residential properties was
$1,050,300, in 2017, a 15.9 per cent
jump from December 2016.
Sales of detached homes,
townhomes and apartments
reached 35,993 last year, the third
highest total in a decade.
The board considers the sales
total more "historically normal,"
marking a 9.9 per cent decrease
from 2016 and down 15 per cent
from the sizzling pace of 2015.
A key aspect of last year's
housing market was a decline
in the number of available
listings, a trend the board has
said can put upward pressure on
prices.
Board president Jill Oudill
said 54,655 properties were listed
for sale in 2017, a dip of 5.1 per
cent from the year earlier.
RBC hit with service disruptions after TD glitch
The Canadian Press
TORONTO: The Royal
Bank of Canada is working
to fix its online banking
and web brokerage
platforms after users complained
of sporadic service.
"Some clients are experiencing
delays when
attempting to log on to our
Online Banking and RBC
Direct Investing platforms
due to heavy trading volumes,"
said RBC spokesman
AJ Goodman in an
email.
"We regret any inconvenience
this may
cause clients and appreciate
their patience as we
diligently work to resolve
them," he said, adding
the bank is asking clients
continue to try to log in to
their accounts because the
issues are intermittent.
The company's verified
customer support Twitter
account has been responding
to customer complaints
since early Wednesday
morning. Twitter users
have complained about
trouble using the wallet
application, logging into
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online banking and accessing
RBC Direct Investing.
The website CanadianOutages.com
showed a
jump in reports about problems
with RBC Wednesday
morning, reaching more
than 400 complaints recently.
The Wolf, a Twitter
Toronto stock index begins 2018 with a bang
Agencies
TORONTO: Canada's main
stock index cruised to a new
record high in its first day of
trading for the year, as the loonie
gained ground on the U.S.
dollar.
The S&P/TSX composite
index surged 100.86 points to
16,309.99 on Tuesday, with
energy and mining shares
among major advancers on the
commodity-heavy index.
The February crude contract
was down five cents to
US$60.37 per barrel. A rally
late in December sent oil to its
highest price since June 2015.
"Oil, up where it is right
now, is maintaining that $60-
plus level and at that price
there are a lot of shale producers
that are quite profitable,"
user with the handle @
ofBayStreet based in Toronto,
said in a direct message
they were unable to
access their RBC Direct
Investing account where
their investments are held
initially. After multiple attempts,
the log in worked,
but they couldn't modify
orders for stocks.
The person estimates
they lost out on about $400-
$600 in potential gains.
RBC's issues come a
day after TD's WebBroker
website experienced a
system issue that affected
some clients' ability to log
into or use the site.
A spokesman for TD
said the bank planned to
make capacity upgrades to
WebBroker Tuesday night
to help solve intermittent
delays some clients experienced.
said Craig Jerusalim, portfolio
manager of Canadian equities
at CIBC Asset Management.
"And with the profitability
of those shale producers
we're likely to see the supply
response come on at this point.
So it will be tough for prices to
be maintained at these levels."
Elsewhere in commodities,
the February natural gas
contract was up 10 cents to
US$3.06 per mmBTU, as the
cold snap that continues to
blanket many parts of North
America is driving short-term
natural gas prices higher.
The February gold
contract added US$6.80 to
US$1,316.10 an ounce and the
March copper contract was
down two cents to US$3.28 a
pound. South of the border,
Toronto home sales in
2017 down by 18.3%
Agencies
TORONTO: The Toronto
Real Estate Board says home
sales in the Greater Toronto
Area fell 18.3 per cent last
year compared with a record
pace set in 2016.
There were 92,394 sales
through its MLS system in
2017, down from 113,040 in
the previous year.
The board says there
were record sales in the first
quarter of last year, followed
technology and health-care
companies jumped as U.S.
stocks started 2018 the same
way they spent the last one:
rising steadily and setting records.
"This time of the year
the prognostications are often
for the continuance of the
trend and it's going to continue
until there's some sort of hiccup,"
said Jerusalim.
"But for the time being
people are still optimistic....
It's almost that fear of missing
out where investors are chasing
returns. At some point
there's going to be a catalyst
that changes that sentiment."
In New York, the Dow
Jones industrial average
advanced 104.79 points to
24,824.01. The S&P 500 index
was up 22.20 points to 2,695.81
by a decline in the middle
two quarters before sales
picked up in the last three
months of the year.
The average selling
price for 2017 was $822,681,
up 12.7 per cent compared
with 2016. The board says
sales in December totalled
4,930, down from 5,305 in the
final month of 2016.
The average price for
the last month of 2017 was
$735,021, up from $730,125 a
year earlier.
and the Nasdaq composite
index gained 103.51 points to
7,006.90, both record highs.
In currency markets, the
Canadian dollar closed at an
average trading value of $79.89
cents US, up 0.18 of a U.S. cent.
Jerusalim said the loonie's
strength has been surprising
given the divergence
of macro data coming out of
North America. "The United
States has been stronger as of
late. Combine that with interest
rate policies where people
are expecting interest rates to
move higher south of the border
where they're expected to
say flat in Canada," he said.
"That should suggest that
the stronger loonie is not going
to be sustainable in the medium
term."

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Agencies
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The International News Weekly January 05, 2018 | Toronto
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The International News Weekly ENTERTAINMENT
January 05, 2018 | Toronto 20
Kamya Punjabi
wants to join politics
Agencies
MUMBAI: Actress Kamya Punjabi, a former "Bigg
Boss" contestant, says
she is interested in
becoming a politician
and put an end
to harassment against
women in the country.
"I want to be in
politics as I feel politics
is not a bad career
choice. It is one of the
most challenging and
hardworking career
options which not only
tests one's strength but also the person's personality,"
Kamya, who has featured in shows like "Parvarrish"
and "Beintehaa", said in a statement to IANS.
"I want to bring harassment against women to
an end. Women are born to live a greater life. I don't
want to see anyone being a victim to their family, society
or anyone. They need to live a life fearlessly,"
she added.
She wants to encourage women to fight for their
rights.
If she joins politics, she says she will make the
environment "so women-friendly that people will
think before harassing a woman".
She is currently seen in the show "Shakti - Astitva
Ke Ehsaas Ki".
Women must get free access
to sanitary napkins: Akshay
Indo-Asian News Service
MUMBAI: National
Award-winning actor
Akshay Kumar, who is
addressing the issue of
menstrual hygiene in his
forthcoming film "Pad
Man", says women should
get sanitary napkins for
free as it is a basic necessity
for them.
Asked if the "Toilet: Ek
Prem Katha" actor wants
to reach out to the government
to cut down on GST
rate of sanitary napkins,
Akshay told media here
on Thursday: "Why just
cut down on GST? I think
women should have free
access to sanitary napkins.
This is their basic
necessity. It is about menstrual
hygiene and not
luxury."
"It is unfortunate and
I am ashamed to say that
82 per cent women in this
country have no access to
sanitary pads and they are
mistreated during those
five days of their menstruation
period. This is
unfortunate," he added.
"Pad Man" is a biopic
on Arunachalam Muruganantham,
the inventor
of a low-cost sanitary pad
making machine in India.
The subject of "Pad Man"
is considered a taboo or a
sensitive issue.
So what are the elements
that he has kept in
mind while promoting the
film?
"Firstly, do not call it a
sensitive issue. It is a natural
process of a human
body. It is time to get rid of
those taboos attached to it.
It is time to treat the issue
maturely.
Also from the women's
end, they should not shy
away from talking about
the issue, and certainly
should not whisper about
it," he said.
He feels that the way
festivals like Holi and Diwali
are celebrated, people
should also "celebrate
when a girl meets with her
puberty".
"When you celebrate
it, the girl who is already
going through a physical
and hormonal transition,
will feel confident and secure.
But we excluded our
women from the normalcy
of life during those five
days. So from the first experience,
women feel that
period is something they
should hide. So you know
where we should start
from," he added.
Produced by Akshay's
wife Twinkle Khanna and
directed by R. Balki, "Pad
Man" is slated to release
on January 26.
Sisters Nigaar, Gauahar Khan reveal secrets
Agencies
MUMBAI: Actresses and sisters Gauahar and Nigaar
Khan have revealed each other's secrets and habits online.
Nigaar appeared on Gauahar's new YouTube channel
on its second episode on Wednesday.
"Everyone wanted the Khan sisters back for a very
long time and since we were not doing the show, I have
started my YouTube channel. I just thought it will be a
great way to give a dose of our craziness to our fans.
"That is when I thought of getting my best friend, my
sister and my better crazy half on the show. It was the
craziest episode we shot for the channel. It felt like we
relived the moments of 'Khan Sisters'," Gauahar said in a
statement to IANS.
TV show "Khan Sisters", which put the spotlight on
the two sisters, went off air five years ago.
Dia Mirza is excited about Sanjay Dutt biopic
Agencies
NEW DELHI: Actressproducer
Dia Mirza is
excited to work on Rajkumar
Hirani's yet untitled
Sanjay Dutt biopic, but
doesnt want to take stress
by thinking how it will take
her "career as an actor in a
new direction".
Dia will be seen playing
the role of Sanjay's wife
Manyata in the biopic.
"I'm very very excited
about the Dutt biopic and
my work in it. I don't want
to put too much pressure
on myself by thinking
about the fact that it might
take my career as an actor
in a new direction," Dia
told IANS.
The biopic features
Ranbir Kapoor as the protagonist.
It also stars Sonam
Kapoor, Anushka
Sharma, Paresh Rawal,
Manisha Koirala, Karishma
Tanna, Vicky Kaushal
and Jim Sarbh.
The film, written and
directed by Hirani, will
be opening up facets of
Sanjay's personal as well
as public life on the big
screen.
After winning the Miss
Asia Pacific 2000 title, Dia
made her Bollywood debut
in 2001 with the film "Rehnaa
Hai Terre Dil Mein".
Despite having a successful
debut, she could
not sustain the golden run
in the Hindi film industry.
She featured in Bollywood
films like "Deewaanapan",
"Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge",
"Dum" and "Kurbaan"
that bombed at the
box office.
Apart from acting, Dia
has stepped into the filmmaking
business. She coowns
a production house,
Born Free Entertainment,
with her husband Sahil
Sangha. Her last production
venture was "Bobby
Jasoos" in 2014.
The actress hopes to
evolve as an actor and a
producer with each project.
"As an actor and a producer,
I hope I can continue
to evolve, grow and
contribute. That's what my
primary focus is... to just
keep making better choices,
keep learning and growing,"
she said.
Richa Chadda gets
cocktail named
Bholi Bhali Punjaban
Agencies
Mumbai : Actress Richa Chadha has got a drink
named after her role of Bholi Punjaban from the
"Fukrey" franchise.
True Tramm Trunk, a restaurant here, has introduced
a new cocktail named Bholi Bhali Punjaban,
which is infused with litchi fruit juice. It will be offered
to patrons in a customised bottle with Bholi Punjaban's
image on the bottle.
The restobar has an array of quirky drinks with
quirkier names and this was a seamless integration
into their menu, read a statement.
Richa said: "I am happy that Bholi Punjaban will
make people happy. I thought it was a great idea from
the folks at True Tramm Trunk. I am flattered."
Bholi Punjaban was a local gangster in the "Fukrey"
franchise.

The International News Weekly Sports
January 05, 2018 | Toronto
21
Will India be able to defeat South Africa?
Indo-Asian News Service
CAPE TOWN: After registering
nine consecutive
Test series victories since
2015, India will be duly tested
in overseas conditions
when they aim to overcome
a formidable South Africa
in the first of three match
series at the Newlands here
on Friday.
India maintained their
Test series winning streak
since defeating Sri Lanka
2-1 in their away series.
The top ranked side in the
longest format had also defeated
South Africa on their
own turf in the 2015-16 Freedom
Trophy series.
However, India have
not won against the Proteas
on South African soil since
1992 -- losing four and drawing
one in 2010-11.
India will bank on their
premier batsmen -- Cheteshwar
Pujara and Virat Kohli
-- who ended 2017 as the second
and fourth highest runs
scorers in the longset format
respectively in the calender
year to help their side
maintain its top Test status.
Key Indian batsmen
Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya
Rahane, Murali Vijay and
Lokesh Rahul will only look
to add depth to the batting
department.
Skipper Kohli might opt
to play an extra batsman
-- Rohit Sharma -- in place
of Ravindra Jadeja, who is
down with flu.
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah
-- who received his maiden
call up in Test squad -- alongside
Mohammed Shami, Ishant
Sharma, Umesh Yadav
and Bhuvneshwar Kumar
will be tested against the
fearsome South African
batting on the green-top
wicket.
Second ranked Test side
South Africa, on the other
Squads
India: Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat
Kohli(captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman
Saha(wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed
Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Parthiv Patel,
Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, Lokesh Rahul.
South Africa: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB
de Villiers, Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis(captain), Quinton de
Kock (wicket-keeper), Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso
Rabada, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Chris Morris, Vernon Philander,
Theunis de Bruyn.
hand will look to flourish
on their home conditions
under the likes of batsmen
Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers
and Faf du Plessis.
The well set-up bowling
department will be led
by pacer Kagiso Rabada
-- who ranks second in the
Test bowlers list alongside
fit again Dale Steyn, rightarmer
Morne Morkel and
Vernon Philander who will
target to dismiss the visitors
right from the start of
the match.
India can win
Cape Town Test,
feels Ajay Jadeja
Agencies
NEW DELHI: Former India
cricketer Ajay Jadeja on Thursday
said the opening Test against
South Africa, starting in the familiar
conditions of Cape Town
on Friday, will provide the Virat
Kohli-led side the best chance to
record a win in the three-match
rubber.
Unlike in the past, India will
play their first Test in Cape Town
and then head to bouncy venues
like Centurion and Johannesburg
for the remaining two games.
"The first Test match is probably
going to be the most important
and India are lucky to play in
Cape Town this time," Jadeja told
reporters here.
"Luckily, we will be playing
on a pitch that gives us the best
chance to win because that's the
one that turns, that's the one that
gives a little help.
"It's very hot out there and I believe
it might turn. So, hopefully
we will start well and have a better
tour this time," he added.
But the former India star also
cautioned Kohli's men against the
odds specially in overseas conditions
and after a successful home
season.
"It will be a great challenge.
Lot of people expect us to win easily
there but I don't think it would
be that easy. Yes we are better
side than what we used to be in
the past. "But overseas is always
a different ballgame. You see that
when other teams come here it is
the same for them.
"We are going with high hopes,
and depending more on our bowling
strength this time around.
Now it depends on the team management
with which combination
they go into the match. For the
past 1-2 years, I haven't seen a settled
bowling line-up, so it will be
the management's call," he added.
India will be tough opponents: SA coach
Indo-Asian News Service
Agencies
NEW DELHI: Former India skipper
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will
once again be seen in his favourite
yellow jersey in the Indian
Premier League's (IPL) 2018 season
as the Chennai Super Kings
retained the Ranchi stumper
along with Suresh Raina and allrounder
Ravindra Jadeja. Dhoni
has been retained for Rs 15 crore
while Raina and Jadeja were kept
for Rs 11 crore and Rs 7 crore, respectively.
The CSK franchise, back into
the IPL fold after serving a twoyear
ban, has two Right-to-Match
options left, which they can use
during the IPL auction on January
27 and 28.
Rajasthan Royals, the other
franchise to return after a twoyear
ban, has retained Australia
skipper Steve Smith (Rs 12 crore)
and surprisingly pushed the likes
of star batsman Ajinkya Rahane
back into the auction pool.
CAPE TOWN: South Africa coach
Ottis Gibson has warned his team
that India may prove to be tough
opponents during the upcoming
three-match Test series.
"They are currently ranked
number one and they've got a lot
of world class players and world
class players aren't just world
class in their own back yards,"
Gibson told the media here.
"They're a very good team and
I think they will travel a lot better
now. We know for sure that it is
going to be a tough series. I don't
think you're going to see them fold
as much as they may have done in
the past," he added.
The wicket for the first Test --
which begins here on January 5 --
shows a distinct green tinge. With
fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Vernon
Philander and Morne Morkel
set to take the field for South Africa,
Gibson hoped the hosts will be
able to enjoy the upper hand.
"I'm not expecting it to change
too much between now and Friday,"
the Proteas coach said when
asked about the wicket.
Gibson has had previous experience
against the Indian team. He
was England's bowling coach in
2016 during their disatrous tour of
The other surprise came in
the form of Gautam Gambhir,
who was sent into the auction
pool despite guiding the Kolkata
Knight Riders (KKR) to lifting the
silverware twice (2012 and 2014).
The Shah Rukh Khan-coowned
franchise retained the
West Indian duo of Sunil Narine
(Rs 8.5 crore) and Andre Russell
India which saw them crash 0-4 in
a five-match Test series.
However, the 48-year-old is
confident that a full strength
South African pace attack will be
able to give a tough challenge to
the Indian batting line-up.
"They were too good for us.
They played really well and were
led very well by the captain, who
got a lot of runs. There were times
in those conditions where we
(Rs 7 crore).
Similarly, Royal Challengers
Bangalore (RCB) released West
Indian power-hitter Chris Gayle
while retaining India skipper
Virat Kohli (Rs 17 crore), South
African AB de Villiers (Rs 11
crore) and young Sarfraz Khan
(Rs 1.75 crore). Delhi Daredevils
expectedly retained the young
couldn't get him out," Gibson recalled.
"I think in these conditions it
will be a lot different. We'll have
some plans for him as we will for
every other player in the team," he
added.
Gibson also felt that the current
Proteas pace attack was the
best the country has had in a long
time which gives a strong chance
to win the upcoming three-match
Test series.
"This attack has Steyn,
Morkel, Rabada, Philander, Chris
Morris and Keshav Maharaj, who
is a world class spinner. Perhaps
the best that the country has had
for a long time," he said.
"It's a world class bowling attack
and we just have to try and
come up with the right combination
to go and win this Test
match."
Dhoni, Raina are back in Chennai Super Kings
Indian duo of Rishabh Pant (Rs
8 crore) and Shreyas Iyer (Rs 7
crore) along with South African
all-rounder Chris Morris (Rs 7.1
crore).
Mumbai Indians also went
along expected lines retaining
their three-time IPL winning
skipper Rohit Sharma (Rs 15
crore) along with all-rounder
Hardik Pandya (Rs 11 crore) and
death-overs bowling specialist
Jasprit Bumrah (Rs 7 crore).
Rohit guided the Mumbai
franchise to IPL titles in 2013, 2015
and 2017.Sunrisers Hyderabad
also sprang a surprise by releasing
India opener Shikhar Dhawan
and Afghanistan spin sensation
Rashid Khan but retained Australian
David Warner (Rs 12 crore)
along with pacer Bhuvneshwar
Kumar (Rs 8 crore).
After another dismal 2017
season, Kings XI Punjab retained
just left-arm spinner Axar Patel
(Rs 6.75 crore) for the next season.

The International News Weekly January 05, 2018 | Toronto 22

The International News Weekly January 05, 2018 | Toronto
23

The International News Weekly January 05, 2018 | Toronto 24
Juhi's kids not
thinking of Bollywood
Agencies
India’s Minister of State for Culture and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma,
inaugurating the photographic exhibition 'Glorious Ajanta’ on the beautiful paintings and digital restoration
of Ajanta Caves, in New Delhi on Tuesday.
NEW DELHI: Actress Juhi Chawla says her children,
Arjun and Jahnavi, are not thinking about entering Bollywood
at the moment. But she will be "thrilled" if they
decide to get into showbiz.
The actress is married to businessman Jai Mehta.
"Jahnavi is academically inclined. She is extremely
brilliant and a focused girl and is extremely hard-working.
She topped History in India in her IGCSE (International
General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams
in 2017," Juhi told IANS.
"Arjun is an all-rounder. He is quite a clown. He is
really fun and expressive and can do everything but I
think he gets shy. I would be thrilled if my kids would
like to join Bollywood. At this moment, I don't think they
are thinking of Bollywood," added the actress.
At the moment, she is enjoying her stint as a narrator
on Epic channel's TV show "Sharanam".
"I am enjoying doing this show because one learns
something else.
Justin Bieber museum exhibit to
open in his hometown of Stratford
The Canadian Press
STRATFORD: Mementoes from
Justin Bieber's formative years as
an aspiring Canadian singer will
go on display at a museum in his
hometown of Stratford, Ont. next
month. "Steps to Stardom" — a reference
to the young singer's busking
shows on the steps outside the
local Avon Theatre — opens at the
Stratford Perth Museum on Feb.
18. The exhibit was put together by
the museum's curators in co-operation
with Bieber's grandparents,
Diane and Bruce Dale, who gave
them access to an extensive archive
of items from the performer's
childhood and career.
Among the pieces set for display
are Bieber's Grammy Award,
microphones, a hockey bag, and
personal letters, including one
from Michelle Obama.
About 125 items of interest
were collected and will be narrowed
down to between 50 and 75
pieces for display. After that, the
ongoing exhibit will be refreshed
with new items as time passes.
John Kastner, general manager
of the museum, said organizers
had been considering a Bieber
exhibit for a while.
But plans didn't begin to take
shape until last summer when
Conservative MP Peter Van Loan,
the heritage critic for his party,
visited the museum with his family
and noted there wasn't acknowledgment
of Bieber's history in the
city. He wasn't the only person who
asked about the superstar's absence,
Kastner said, but this time it
was different.
"This was a (former) cabinet
minister," he said. "That sort of
stuck with me." Seeing Bieber's
childhood stomping grounds has
been a highlight for many visitors
to the small city for years. In 2010,
Stratford's tourism board unveiled
a "Bieber-iffic Map" highlighting 24
locations linked to the singer.
Organizers hope "Steps to
Stardom" will have a similar appeal
to Bieber's loyal fan base, but
also draw more casual music fans.
The museum is also pushing for a
broader selection of exhibits that
would cater more specifically to
millennial interests.
Kastner acknowledges some
visitors will probably scoff at a
pop star's history being on display
alongside more traditional artifacts,
which include a history of
the local fire department and a tribute
to Stratford as a railway hub.
Even if not everyone is ready to
catch Bieber fever, he hopes they'll
understand why the museum
thinks this exhibit makes sense.
"You (must) tell this story if
we're going to be relevant and we're
going to be modern," Kastner said.
"I think it's a job for museums
to tell stories and this is a great
story."
Study on Kerala diaspora to target 25,000 families
By Sanu George
Thiruvananthapuram: With
the Middle East, which was
once the dream of many a Keralite,
no longer that attractive
on account of falling oil prices
and with no proper records of
the actual number of returnees,
a new diaspora study covering
25,000 households has
been launched to find out what
the actual scenario is.
The study aims to not only
analyse not the present trends
in migration but also the medium
and long-term consequences
of important developments
like the global financial crisis
of 2009, the drop in oil prices
and the stricter immigration
policies increasingly followed
by countries worldwide and its
impact on Kerala's economy.
S. Irudayarajan, who heads
the study by the Migration
Unit at the Centre for Development
Studies here said its
single purpose is to examine
ground realities and not to
go by unfounded reports that
there is a mass exodus from
the Middle East.
"This new survey has been
titled Kerala Migration Study-
KMS@20. It is the eighth a
series that began in 1998. The
study would be done in 25,000
Kerala households spread
over all the 14 districts and
the first results would emerge
in April," Irudayarajan told
IANS. KMS is widely regarded
as a reliable and authentic
source of data for researchers
and policymakers. Following
the success of the Kerala
model, similar initiatives have
been launched in Tamil Nadu,
Punjab, Goa and Gujarat, from
where large numbers of people
have spread out across the
globe.
Irudayarajan pointed out
that structural changes in the
global oil market and the consequent
fall in oil prices have
posed fresh challenges to the
oil-producing countries in the
Middle East in the last few
years.
"The repercussions are
being felt in Kerala's economy
and society which has been a
consistent supplier of workers
and a receiver of large
amounts of remittances. Additionally,
the governments
in Gulf countries have been
progressively evolving institutional
arrangements and programmes
aimed at promoting
the employment of their own
nationals," Irudayarajan said.
He also pointed out that
the things are not rosy was
pointed out in the KMS-2016
study, when for the first time a
decline was noticed in number
of Kerala emigrants abroad
from 2.4 million in 2014 to
2.24 million in 2016 -- a drop of
160,000 lakh.
The state had 1.36 million
emigrants when the first KMS
was conducted in 1998. The figure
rose to 1.83 million in 2003,
2.19 million in 2008, 2.28 million
in 2011 and peaked at 2.4 million
in 2014.
He added that once the results
are out later in the year,
the state government can
evolve appropriate interventions
in education, employment
and skill development of
prospective emigrants as well
as the re-integration of returnees
into Kerala's economy and
society. Irudayarajan pointed
out that it was wrong to come
to conclusions only based on
the arrivals and departures
from the three Kerala airports
as this will only give a lop- sided
picture.
"The figures from the airports
are only numbers and
do not differentiate between
workers and others, as they
include women and children.
Besides, there are a good number
of Keralites who goe for
holidays to the Middle East.
Our 2016 survey had already
showed that there was a decline
and now in a few months
from now, we will bring out
the actual picture," Irudayarajan
added.
Remittances from migrants
have been instrumental
in sustaining Kerala's
economy, constituting 36.3 per
cent of the state's net domestic
product.
It is now widely accepted
that migration has played a
significant role in poverty alleviation
and in raising the
living standards of about onethird
of Malayali households.